Subspace of Complete Metric Space is Relatively Compact iff Every Sequence has Cauchy Subsequence
Theorem
Let $\struct {X, d}$ be a complete metric space.
Let $\struct {H, d_H}$ be a metric subspace of $\struct {X, d}$.
Then $\struct {H, d_H}$ is relatively compact if and only if:
- every sequence in $H$ has a Cauchy subsequence.
Proof
Necessary Condition
Suppose that:
- $\struct {H, d_H}$ is relatively compact
Let $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ be a sequence in $H$.
Then $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ is a sequence in $\map \cl H$, where $\map \cl H$ is the closure of $H$ in $\struct {X, d}$.
Since $\struct {H, d_H}$ is relatively compact, we have:
- $\map \cl H$ is compact.
From Compact Subspace of Metric Space is Sequentially Compact in Itself, we have:
- $\map \cl H$ is sequentially compact.
So:
- $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ has a subsequence $\sequence {x_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ that converges to a point in $\map \cl H$.
From Convergent Sequence in Metric Space is Cauchy Sequence, we have:
- $\sequence {x_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ is a Cauchy sequence.
So:
- $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ has a Cauchy subsequence $\sequence {x_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$.
Since $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ was an arbitrary sequence in $H$, we have:
- every sequence in $H$ has a Cauchy subsequence.
$\Box$
Sufficient Condition
Suppose that:
- every sequence in $H$ has a Cauchy subsequence.
We show that $\map \cl H$ is sequentially compact.
Let $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ be a sequence in $\map \cl H$.
From Condition for Point being in Closure, for each $n \in \N$ we can pick $y_n \in H$ such that:
- $\ds \map d {x_n, y_n} < \frac 1 n$
From hypothesis, there exists a Cauchy subsequence $\sequence {y_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ of $\sequence {y_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$.
Since $\struct {X, d}$ is complete, $\sequence {y_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ converges to a point $y$.
We show that $\sequence {x_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ converges to $y$.
We have:
\(\ds \map d {x_{n_j}, y}\) | \(\le\) | \(\ds \map d {x_{n_j}, y_{n_j} } + \map d {y_{n_j}, y}\) | Metric Space Axiom $(\text M 2)$: Triangle Inequality | |||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \frac 1 {n_j} + \map d {y_{n_j}, y}\) | from the construction of $\sequence {y_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ |
Let $\epsilon > 0$.
Since $\sequence {y_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ converges to $y$, there exists $N \in \N$ such that:
- $\ds \map d {y_{n_j}, y} < \frac \epsilon 2$
for $j \ge N$.
Now, let $N' \in \N$ be such that:
- $\ds N' \ge \max \set {\frac 2 \epsilon, N}$
Then:
- $\ds \frac 1 {n_j} < \frac \epsilon 2$
for $j \ge N'$, giving:
- $\map d {x_{n_j}, y} < \epsilon$
for $j \ge N'$.
Since $\epsilon > 0$ was arbitrary, we have that $\sequence {x_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ converges to $y$.
Since $\sequence {x_{n_j} }_{j \mathop \in \N}$ is a sequence in $\map \cl H$, we have that $y$ is a limit point of $\map \cl H$.
From Topological Closure is Closed, we have that $\map \cl H$ is a closed set.
So $y \in \map \cl H$.
So $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ has a subsequence that converges to a point in $\map \cl H$.
Since $\sequence {x_n}_{n \mathop \in \N}$ was an arbitrary sequence in $\map \cl H$, we have:
- every sequence in $\map \cl H$ has a subsequence that converges to a point in $\map \cl H$.
So:
- $\map \cl H$ is sequentially compact.
So, from Sequentially Compact Metric Space is Compact:
- $\map \cl H$ is compact.
So we conclude:
- $\struct {H, d_H}$ is relatively compact.
$\blacksquare$
Sources
- 2020: James C. Robinson: Introduction to Functional Analysis ... (previous) ... (next) $6.3$: Arzelà-Ascoli Theorem