Surjectivity of the map giving binary representation for real numbers in $[0,1]$

real-analysis

$\operatorname{Let} X=\left\{\left(x_{i}\right)_{i \geq 1}: x_{i} \in\{0,1\}\right.$ for all $\left.i \geq 1\right\}$ with the metric $d\left(\left(x_{i}\right),\left(y_{i}\right)\right)=\sum_{i \geq 1}\mid x_{i}-y_{i} \mid 2^{-i}$, Let $f: X \rightarrow[0,1]$ be the function defined by $f\left(x_{i}\right)_{i \geq 1}=$
$\sum_{i \geq 1} x_{i} 2^{-i}$. Choose the correct statements from below:

  1. $f$ is continuous
  2. $f$ is onto
  3. $f$ is one-to-one
  4. $f$ is open

It is clear that $f$ seeks for a binary representation for each $y$ in $[0,1]$ which is not unique. How to establish the surjection and openness? Continuity is clear by the definition and I hope that surjectivity yields the openness since $d((0)_{i \geq 1},(y_i)_{i \geq 1})<\epsilon$ implies $\sum_{i \geq 1} y_{i} 2^{-i}<\epsilon$.

Best Answer

Surjectivity of $f$ is equivalent to proof that every $y\in [0,1]$ has a base-$2$ representation. We can obtain such a representation inductively by constructing boxed intervals of lenght $2^{-n}$ converging to $y$.

Explicitly we start from $[0,1]$, divide it in half and take the one cointaining $y$, formally it's better to split $[0,1]$ in $[0,1/2)$ and $[1/2,1]$ so they don't intersect. Next we repeat the construction and get a sequence of intervals. Each choice "left-right" is equivalent a choice "0-1", so we obtain an element $x$ of $X$, we need to prove that $f(x)=y$. Notice that if we stop the sum defining $f(x)$ at time $n$ we obtain the left extrem of the $n$-th interval constructed above, I leave you the details.

The map is not open, take a look at some open ball around $x=(1,0,0\dots)$ of radius less than $1/2$.

Hope it is clear, if not, please ask.

Edit

I will make more explicit the argument to show that $f$ is not open. As said above consider an open ball $B$ around $x=(1,0,0\dots)$ of small radius, say $1/2$, and take any $y\in B$. Being $d(x,y)<1/2$ we must have $y=(1,y_2, \dots)$, this implies that $f(y)\geq 1/2=f(x)$ and hence $f(B)$ must be contained in $[1/2,1]$ which is not open with the euclidean topology.

Related Question