[Math] What’s the difference between open and closed sets

general-topologyintuitionterminology

What's the difference between open and closed sets?

Especially with relation to topology – rigorous definitions are appreciated, but just as important is the intuition!

Best Answer

Intuitively speaking, an open set is a set without a border: every element of the set has, in its neighborhood, other elements of the set. If, starting from a point of the open set, you move away a little, you never exit the set.

A closed set is the complement of an open set (i.e. what stays "outside" from the open set).

Note that some set exists, that are neither open nor closed.