[Math] Open Cover of Compact Set Minus a Point on the Boundary

compactnessgeneral-topologyreal-analysis

I am having a hard time thinking of an infinite (uncountable or not) open cover of a compact set missing a point on its boundary in $\Bbb R^2$, so that the open cover has no finite subcover. I know this must be possible as the set is no longer closed and thus no longer compact. For example can somebody give me a cover of $$E = \{(x,y)\in \Bbb R^2 : x^2+y^2\le1 \} \setminus \{(0,1)\}$$ that has no finite subcover.

Best Answer

Let $X$ be a compact Hausdorff space and $p\in X$ apoint such that $Y:=X-\{p\}$ is not closed. For each $x\in Y$ there exist disjoint open sets $x\in U_x,p\in V_x$. Then the $U_x$ cover $Y$. Assume there is a finite subcover $U_{x_1}\cup\ldots\cup U_{x_n}$. Then this subcover misses the open set $V_{x_1}\cap \ldots\cap V_{x_n}$ which contains $p$ ans must be strictly larger that $\{p\}$ because $\{p\}$ is not open in $X$.

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