§ Defining continuity covariantly
- Real analysis: coavriant definition: f(limx)=lim(fx). Contravariant definition in analysis/topology: f−1(open) is open.
- Contravariant in topology via sierpinski: U⊆X is open iff characteristic function f(x)={T⊥x∈Uotherwiseis continuous.
- A function f:X→Y is continuous iff every function f∘s is continuous for every continuous s:Y→S. That is, a function is continuous iff the pullback of every indicator is an indicator.
- A topological space is said to be sequential iff every sequentially open set is open.
- A set K⊆X is sequentially open iff whenever a sequence xn has a limit point in K, then there is some M such that x≥M lies in K. [TODO: check ]
- Now consider N∞, the one point compactification of the naturals. Here, we add a point called ∞ to N, and declare that sets which have a divergent sequences and ∞ in them are open.
- More abstractly, we declare all sets that are complements of closed and bounded sets with infinity in them as open. So a set U⊆N∞ is bounded iff there exists a closed bounded C⊆N such that U=N/C∪{infty}.
- A function x:N∞toX is continuous [wrt above topology ] iff the sequence xn converges to the limit x∞.
- See that we use functions out of N∞ [covariant ] instead of functions into S [contravariant ].
- Now say a function f:X→Y is sequentially continuous iff for every continuous x:N∞→X, the composition f∘x:N∞→Yis continuous. Informally, the pushforward of every convergent sequence is continuous.
- Can show that the category of sequential spaces is cartesian closed .
- Now generalize N∞
- https://twitter.com/EscardoMartin/status/1444791065735729155