Definition:Component (Topology)/Definition 1

Definition
Let $T = \struct {S, \tau}$ be a topological space.

Let the relation $\sim $ be defined on $T$ as follows:


 * $x \sim y$ $x$ and $y$ are connected in $T$.

That is, there exists a connected set of $T$ that contains both $x$ and $y$.

From Connectedness of Points is Equivalence Relation, $\sim$ is an equivalence relation.

From the Fundamental Theorem on Equivalence Relations, the points in $T$ can be partitioned into equivalence classes.

These equivalence classes are called the (connected) components of $T$.

If $x \in S$, then the component of $T$ containing $x$ (that is, the set of points $y \in S$ with $x \sim y$) is denoted by $\map {\operatorname {Comp}_x} T$.

Also see

 * Equivalence of Definitions of Component