Which topological properties are equivalent to compactness in metric spaces

compactnessgeneral-topologymetric-spaces

Compactness and sequential compactness are different in general topological spaces. However, in a metric space, they are equivalent. The weakest property that is equivalent to compactness in metric spaces that I can think of is pseudocompactness (i.e. every continuous real-valued function is bounded). Because all the other properties that are equivalent to compactness such as sequential compactness or countable compactness imply pseudocompactness. So I'm wondering if there are other properties equivalent to compactness in metric spaces that do not imply pseudocompactness?

Best Answer

The general topology properties

  • pseudocompactness.
  • limit point compactness (wekly countably compact in Steen and Seebach).
  • sequential compactness.
  • countable compactness.

are all equivalent in metrisable spaces, but potentially different in general spaces.

And a uniform spaces characterisation: complete plus totally bounded (these notions do not apply to all topological spaces so I mention this separately), or the fact that every compatible metric is bounded or that every compatible metric is complete (notions only applicable to metrisable spaces).