Lemma 5.7.3. Let $X$ be a topological space.

1. If $T \subset X$ is connected, then so is its closure.

2. Any connected component of $X$ is closed (but not necessarily open).

3. Every connected subset of $X$ is contained in a unique connected component of $X$.

4. Every point of $X$ is contained in a unique connected component, in other words, $X$ is the union of its connected components.

Proof. Let $\overline{T}$ be the closure of the connected subset $T$. Suppose $\overline{T} = T_1 \amalg T_2$ with $T_ i \subset \overline{T}$ open and closed. Then $T = (T\cap T_1) \amalg (T \cap T_2)$. Hence $T$ equals one of the two, say $T = T_1 \cap T$. Thus clearly $\overline{T} \subset T_1$ as desired.

Pick a point $x\in X$. Consider the set $A$ of connected subsets $x \in T_\alpha \subset X$. Note that $A$ is nonempty since $\{ x\} \in A$. There is a partial ordering on $A$ coming from inclusion: $\alpha \leq \alpha ' \Leftrightarrow T_\alpha \subset T_{\alpha '}$. Choose a maximal totally ordered subset $A' \subset A$, and let $T = \bigcup _{\alpha \in A'} T_\alpha$. We claim that $T$ is connected. Namely, suppose that $T = T_1 \amalg T_2$ is a disjoint union of two open and closed subsets of $T$. For each $\alpha \in A'$ we have either $T_\alpha \subset T_1$ or $T_\alpha \subset T_2$, by connectedness of $T_\alpha$. Suppose that for some $\alpha _0 \in A'$ we have $T_{\alpha _0} \not\subset T_1$ (say, if not we're done anyway). Then, since $A'$ is totally ordered we see immediately that $T_\alpha \subset T_2$ for all $\alpha \in A'$. Hence $T = T_2$.

To get an example where connected components are not open, just take an infinite product $\prod _{n \in \mathbf{N}} \{ 0, 1\}$ with the product topology. Its connected components are singletons, which are not open. $\square$

Comment #3563 by Laurent Moret-Bailly on

In (3) and (4) there is no mention of uniqueness of the component in question. But (of course) this is used, e.g. in the statement of Lemma 08ZL.

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