Natural Topology

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Natural Topology Natural Topology Frank Waaldijk ú —with great support from Wim Couwenberg ‡ ú www.fwaaldijk.nl/mathematics.html ‡ http://members.chello.nl/ w.couwenberg ∼ Preface to the second edition In the second edition, we have rectified some omissions and minor errors from the first edition. Notably the composition of natural morphisms has now been properly detailed, as well as the definition of (in)finite-product spaces. The bibliography has been updated (but remains quite incomplete). We changed the names ‘path morphism’ and ‘path space’ to ‘trail morphism’ and ‘trail space’, because the term ‘path space’ already has a well-used meaning in general topology. Also, we have strengthened the part of applied mathematics (the APPLIED perspective). We give more detailed representations of complete metric spaces, and show that natural morphisms are efficient and ubiquitous. We link the theory of star-finite metric developments to efficient computing with morphisms. We hope that this second edition thus provides a unified frame- work for a smooth transition from theoretical (constructive) topology to ap- plied mathematics. For better readability we have changed the typography. The Computer Mod- ern fonts have been replaced by the Arev Sans fonts. This was no small operation (since most of the symbol-with-sub/superscript configurations had to be redesigned) but worthwhile, we believe. It would be nice if more fonts become available for LATEX, the choice at this moment is still very limited. (the author, 14 October 2012) Copyright © Frank Arjan Waaldijk, 2011, 2012 Published by the Brouwer Society, Nijmegen, the Netherlands All rights reserved First edition, July 2011 Second edition, October 2012 Cover drawing ocho infinito xxiii by the author (‘ocho infinito’ in co-design with Wim Couwenberg) Summary We develop a simple framework called ‘natural topology’, which can serve as a theoretical and applicable basis for dealing with real-world phenom- ena. Natural topology is tailored to make pointwise and pointfree notions go together naturally. As a constructive theory in BISH, it gives a classical math- ematician a faithful idea of important concepts and results in intuitionism. Natural topology is well-suited for practical and computational purposes. We give several examples relevant for applied mathematics, such as the decision-support system Hawk-Eye, and various real-number representations. We compare classical mathematics (CLASS), intuitionistic mathematics (INT), recursive mathematics (RUSS), Bishop-style mathematics (BISH) and formal topology, aiming to reduce the mutual differences to their essence. To do so, our mathematical foundation must be precise and simple. There are links with physics, regarding the topological character of our physical universe. Any natural space is isomorphic to a quotient space of Baire space, which therefore is universal. We develop an elegant and concise ‘genetic induction’ scheme, and prove its equivalence on natural spaces to a formal-topological induction style. The inductive Heine-Borel property holds for ‘compact’ or ‘fanlike’ natural subspaces, including the real interval [α, β]. Inductive mor- phisms respect this Heine-Borel property, inversely. This partly solves the continuous-function problem for BISH, yet pointwise problems persist in the absence of Brouwer’s Thesis. By inductivizing the definitions, a direct correspondence with INT is obtained which allows for a translation of many intuitionistic results into BISH. We thus prove a constructive star-finitary metrization theorem which parallels the classical metrization theorem for strongly paracompact spaces. We also obtain non-metrizable Silva spaces, in infinite-dimensional topology. Natural topology gives a solid basis, we think, for further constructive study of topo- logical lattice theory, algebraic topology and infinite-dimensional topology. The final section reconsiders the question of which mathematics to choose for physics. Compactness issues also play a role here, since the question ‘can Nature produce a non-recursive sequence?’ finds a negative answer in CTphys . CTphys , if true, would seem at first glance to point to RUSS as the mathematics of choice for physics. To discuss this issue, we wax more philosophical. We also present a simple model of INT in RUSS, in the two- player game LIfE. Contents CHAPTER ZERO: Introduction 5 Introduction . .6 CHAPTER ONE: Natural Topology 9 Basic definitions and the natural reals . 10 Natural morphisms . 17 Fundamental natural spaces . 23 Applied math intermezzo: Hawk-Eye, binary and decimal reals . 28 Intuitionistic phenomena in natural topology . 31 CHAPTER TWO: Baire space is universal 34 Introduction to Baire space . 35 Lattices, trees and spreads . 37 Universal natural spaces . 40 Morphisms on spreads and spraids . 43 A direct link with intuitionism . 45 Compactness, Brouwer’s Thesis and inductive definitions . 51 CHAPTER THREE: Inductivizing our definitions 55 Induction in formal-topology style . 56 Genetic induction in Brouwer’s style . 59 Inductive Heine-Borel for (sub)fanns . 63 Inductive morphisms . 65 Pointwise problems in BISH and final inductivization . 72 (In)finite products and Tychonoff’s theorem . 77 CHAPTER FOUR: Metrizability, and natural topology in physics 83 Metric spaces and (non-)metrizability . 84 From natural to general topology . 94 Natural topology and physics . 95 APPENDIX: Additionals, Examples, Proofs 102 Closing remarks and acknowledgements . 103 Background, motivation, and recap . 106 Examples . 113 Proofs and additional definitions . 122 Constructive concepts and axioms used . 158 Additional remarks . 166 Bibliography and further reading references . 169 CHAPTER ZERO Introduction In this chapter we introduce the subject of natural topology, starting from the natural sciences. The basis for observations and measure- ments in science seems inescapably to be one of ever-increasing refinement. We do not obtain finished real numbers, but only finite approximations of ever-increasing exactitude. This type of ‘constructive’ considerations has become increasingly important with the advent of the computer. The translation of theo- retical classical mathematics to applied mathematics is often prob- lematic. Constructive mathematics incorporates finite approxima- tions in its theory, thus providing a smooth theoretical framework for applied mathematics. Also important: natural topology gives a mathematical model of the real-world topology that we encounter when measuring. This we believe to be relevant for physics. Last but not least, we believe natural topology to be relevant for the foundations of (constructive) mathematics. Introduction 6 0.0 INTRODUCTION 0.0.0 Background and motivation of this paper For a historical background and motivation of this paper, we refer the reader to the appendix, section A.1. Section A.2 of the appendix holds some nice mathematical examples which should help clarify our approach. For readability, most proofs are given in the appendix in section A.3. Constructive axioms and concepts are given and discussed in section A.4, additional remarks can be found in section A.5, and the bibliography is in section A.6. Summarizing: don’t skip the appendix! 0.0.1 Introduction to natural topology Imagine an engineer taking measure- ments of some natural physical phenomenon. With ever-increasing precision steps she arrives at ever more precise approximations of certain real num- bers. In this process she may come across two measurements which at the outset could still indicate the same real number, yet, when more precision is attained, are seen to be really apart. The interesting thing about this description lies in the hidden meaning of the word ‘real number’. Usually this meaning is taken for granted, with an intuitive image of the real line as ‘foundation’. But in mathematics —the precision language of science— the real numbers are commonly defined as equivalence classes of Cauchy-sequences of rational numbers. Then, later, a metric topology can be defined where the basic open sets are the open rational intervals. This topology is optional, as a system the real numbers are usually viewed to exist ‘on their own’. Compared to the situation that the engineer finds herself in, the above math- ematical approach is exactly the other way round. For the engineer first and only encounters a finite number of shrinking rational intervals (the measure- ments), and then regards these finite measurements as an approximation to a real number (getting better all the time if one can apply more and more precision). From a topological view, the engineer comes across the topology of rational intervals before ever seeing a real number. It turns out that many prob- lems of translating theoretical mathematics into practical applications hinge around this reversal of approach to real numbers and their natural topology. So let us go into this matter a bit more. Introduction 7 0.0.2 Classical mathematics In theoretical mathematics, theorems about the real numbers are often proved in a way which ‘disregards’ the topology. For instance, consider a theorem asserting ∀ R∃ y R[D(, y)]. Consider a reasonably algorithmic proof even which has2 the following2 form: for < 0 do A and for 0 do B. Looking at it from a topological standpoint, one could say such a proof≥ is ‘discontinuous’ in 0. When an engineer looks to imple- ment the theorem say on a computer fed by real-time data, the problem arises immediately that for real-time data the distinction < 0 or 0 cannot always be made. On data hovering around 0, the ‘method’
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