Definition:Vector Subspace/Hilbert Spaces

Definition
Let $K$ be a division ring.

Let $\left({S, +, \circ}\right)_K$ be a $K$-algebraic structure with one operation.

Let $T$ be a closed subset of $S$.

Let $\left({T, +_T, \circ_T}\right)_K$ be a $K$-vector space where:
 * $+_T$ is the restriction of $+$ to $T \times T$ and
 * $\circ_T$ is the restriction of $\circ$ to $K \times T$.

Then $\left({T, +_T, \circ_T}\right)_K$ is a (vector) subspace of $\left({S, +, \circ}\right)_K$.

When considering Hilbert spaces, one wants to deal with projections onto subspaces.

These projections however require the linear subspace to be closed in topological sense in order to be well-defined.

Therefore, in treatises of Hilbert spaces, one encounters the terminology linear manifold for the concept of vector subspace defined above.

The adapted definition of linear subspace is then that it is a topologically closed linear manifold.

Also see
Compare with Definition:Closed Linear Subspace.