Initial Topology on Vector Space Generated by Linear Functionals is Locally Convex
Theorem
Let $\GF \in \set {\R, \C}$.
Let $X$ be a vector space over $\GF$.
Let $F$ be a set of linear functionals on $X$ that form a vector space over $\GF$.
That is, for each $\lambda, \mu \in \GF$ and $f, g \in F$, we have:
- $\lambda f + \mu g \in F$
Let $\tau$ be the initial topology on $X$ generated by $F$.
For each $f \in F$, define $p_f : X \to \R_{\ge 0}$ by:
- $\map {p_f} x = \cmod {\map f x}$
and let:
- $\PP = \set {p_f : f \in F}$
Then the standard topology on the locally convex space $\struct {X, \PP}$ is precisely $\tau$.
Proof
Let $\tau'$ be the standard topology on the locally convex space.
From definition, a sub-basis for $\tau'$ is given by:
- $\SS' = \set {\map {B_{p_f} } {\epsilon, x} : f \in F, \, \epsilon > 0, \, x \in X}$
where:
- $\map {B_{p_f} } {\epsilon, x} = \set {y \in X : \map {p_f} {y - x} < \epsilon}$
For each $u \in \GF$, let:
- $\map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} = \set {v \in \GF : \cmod {u - v} < \epsilon}$
From Open Balls form Basis for Open Sets of Metric Space:
- $\BB_\GF = \set {\map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} : u \in \GF, \, \epsilon > 0}$
forms a basis for $\GF$.
From Sub-Basis for Initial Topology in terms of Sub-Bases of Target Spaces:
- $\SS = \set {f^{-1} \sqbrk {\map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} } : u \in \GF, \, \epsilon > 0}$
is a sub-basis for $\tau$.
We show that $\SS = \SS' \cup \set \O$.
First, take $f = 0$.
Then:
- $\ds f^{-1} \sqbrk {\map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} } = \begin{cases}X & 0 \in \map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} \\ \O & \text{otherwise}\end{cases} \in \SS' \cup \set \O$
On the other hand, if $f = 0$ and $x \in X$ then:
\(\ds \map {B_{p_f} } {\epsilon, x}\) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : \map {p_f} {y - x} < \epsilon}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : \cmod {\map f {y - x} } < \epsilon}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : 0 < \epsilon}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds X\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(\in\) | \(\ds \SS\) |
Now suppose that $f \ne 0$.
Then from Linear Functional on Vector Space is Zero or Surjective, $f$ is surjective.
So, for each $u \in \GF$ there exists $x \in X$ such that $u = \map f x$.
Then we have:
\(\ds f^{-1} \sqbrk {\map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} }\) | \(=\) | \(\ds f^{-1} \sqbrk {\map {B_\epsilon} {\map f x, \GF} }\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : \map f y \in \map {B_\epsilon} {\map f x, \GF} }\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : \cmod {\map f y - \map f x} < \epsilon}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : \cmod {\map f {y - x} } < \epsilon}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \set {y \in X : \map {p_f} {y - x} < \epsilon}\) | ||||||||||||
\(\ds \) | \(=\) | \(\ds \map {B_{p_f} } {\epsilon, x}\) |
So we have:
- $\set {f^{-1} \sqbrk {\map {B_\epsilon} {u, \GF} } : u \in \GF, \, \epsilon > 0} = \set {\map {B_{p_f} } {\epsilon, x} : f \in F \setminus \set 0, \, \epsilon > 0}$
Combining with our result for $f = 0$, we obtain the desired:
- $\SS = \SS' \cup \set \O$
Since $\O$ is contained in any topology on $X$ we have:
- $\map \tau \SS = \map \tau {\SS'}$
and hence:
- $\tau = \tau'$
$\blacksquare$