Proposition (Sequential characterization of closed sets, proof I). Let (X,d)(X,d) be a and let A⊂XA\subset X. Then AA is if and only if whenever (an)(a_n) is a sequence in AA and an→aa_n\to a, we have a∈Aa\in A.

Remarks

Proof sketch (using closure).

  • If AA is closed, then A‾=A\overline{A}=A. If an∈Aa_n\in A and an→aa_n\to a, then by we have a∈A‾=Aa\in\overline{A}=A.
  • Conversely, assume the "contains limits" property. Take any x∈A‾x\in\overline{A}. By the same closure-via-sequences proposition, there exists an∈Aa_n\in A with an→xa_n\to x. By hypothesis x∈Ax\in A. Hence A‾⊂A\overline{A}\subset A, so A‾=A\overline{A}=A and AA is closed.