Lemma 5.12.10. Let X be a topological space. Assume
X is quasi-compact,
X has a basis for the topology consisting of quasi-compact opens, and
the intersection of two quasi-compact opens is quasi-compact.
For any x \in X the connected component of X containing x is the intersection of all open and closed subsets of X containing x.
Proof.
Let T be the connected component containing x. Let S = \bigcap _{\alpha \in A} Z_\alpha be the intersection of all open and closed subsets Z_\alpha of X containing x. Note that S is closed in X. Note that any finite intersection of Z_\alpha 's is a Z_\alpha . Because T is connected and x \in T we have T \subset S. It suffices to show that S is connected. If not, then there exists a disjoint union decomposition S = B \amalg C with B and C open and closed in S. In particular, B and C are closed in X, and so quasi-compact by Lemma 5.12.3 and assumption (1). By assumption (2) there exist quasi-compact opens U, V \subset X with B = S \cap U and C = S \cap V (details omitted). Then U \cap V \cap S = \emptyset . Hence \bigcap _\alpha U \cap V \cap Z_\alpha = \emptyset . By assumption (3) the intersection U \cap V is quasi-compact. By Lemma 5.12.6 for some \alpha ' \in A we have U \cap V \cap Z_{\alpha '} = \emptyset . Since X \setminus (U \cup V) is disjoint from S and closed in X hence quasi-compact, we can use the same lemma to see that Z_{\alpha ''} \subset U \cup V for some \alpha '' \in A. Then Z_\alpha = Z_{\alpha '} \cap Z_{\alpha ''} is contained in U \cup V and disjoint from U \cap V. Hence Z_\alpha = U \cap Z_\alpha \amalg V \cap Z_\alpha is a decomposition into two open pieces, hence U \cap Z_\alpha and V \cap Z_\alpha are open and closed in X. Thus, if x \in B say, then we see that S \subset U \cap Z_\alpha and we conclude that C = \emptyset .
\square
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