Proof Verification: Path Connected implies Connected

connectednessgeneral-topologymetric-spacessolution-verification

Let $(M,d)$ be a metric space, which is path-connected. Fix $p \in M$. Now, $\forall q \in M-\{p\}$, $\exists f_q:[a,b] \rightarrow M$ with $f_q(a)=p$ and $f_q(b)=q$, and $f_q$ is continuous. Call each such $[a,b]$ a domain interval, which is not unique.

Let $\{I_q| q \in M-\{p\}\}$ be a collection of such domain intervals (note that such a collection is not unique). Now, using the fact that $I_q$ is connected for each $q \in M-\{p\}$, and the fact that the functions $f_q$ are continuous, $f_q(I_q)$ must be connected as well. Moreover, the intersection of $f_q(I_q)$ over $q \in M-\{p\}$ is non-empty, as $p$ must belong to this intersection. Hence, their union must be connected.
Now, $\forall q \in M-\{p\}$, $f_q(I_q) \subset M$ by definition of $f_q$. Also, $\forall q \in M-\{p\}$, $q \in f_q(I_q)$, again by definition. Of course, $p \in f_q(I_q )$ $\forall q \in M-\{p\}$ as well. Thus, $\bigcup\limits_{q \in M-\{p\}} f_q(I_q) = M$ and $M$ is connected $\blacksquare$

Best Answer

$X$ is connected iff for each $x,y \in X$ there exists a connected subspace $C(x,y)\subseteq X$ such that $x,y \in C(x,y)$.

Left to right is trivial, we can take $C(x,y)=X$ always. Right to left: suppose $X$ is not connected while the right hand side holds, write $X=A \cup B$ where $A,B$ are disjoint, non-empty and both open. Pick $a \in A, b \in B$ and for the $C(a,b)$ that exists, note that $C(a,b) = (A \cap C(a,b)) \cup (B \cap C(a,b))$, so that $C(a,b)$ is not connected, which is a contradiction. So $X$ is connected.

(I could also have shown, as in your proposed proof that (for some fixed $p \in X$), that $$X= \bigcup\{ C(p,a): a \in X\}$$ which is a union of connected subspaces that all intersect at $p$ and so is connected, but this needs an extra theorem, while the previous only needs the definition of connectedness).

Now, note that the right hand side is easily satisfied for a path-connected space: if $f:[a,b] \to X$ is a path from $x$ to $y$, use $C(x,y)=f[[a,b]]$, which is connected as $f$ is continuous and $[a,b]$ is always connected.

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