Lindelöf's Lemma

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Theorem

Let $C$ be a set of open real sets.

Let $S \subseteq \R$ be a subset of the real numbers that is covered by $C$.


Then there exists a countable subset of $C$ that covers $S$.


Proof

Lemma

Let $C$ be a set of open real sets.


Then there is a countable subset $D$ of $C$ such that:

$\ds \bigcup_{O \mathop \in D} O = \bigcup_{O \mathop \in C} O$

$\Box$


We have that $S$ is covered by $C$.

This means that $S$ is a subset of $\ds \bigcup_{O \mathop \in C} O$.

From the lemma:

$\ds \bigcup_{O \mathop \in D} O = \bigcup_{O \mathop \in C} O$

where $D$ is a countable subset of $C$.

Hence $S$ is also a subset of $\ds \bigcup_{O \mathop \in D} O$.

In other words, $S$ is covered by $D$.

That is, $S$ is covered by a countable subset of $C$.

Hence the result.

$\blacksquare$


Source of Name

This entry was named for Ernst Leonard Lindelöf.