The derived set of a subset A⊆XA\subseteq X in a is the set

A′={x∈X:x is a limit point of A},A'=\{x\in X : x \text{ is a limit point of } A\},

where “limit point” is as in .

Relation to closure

The derived set records the accumulation behavior of AA, and it satisfies the basic relationship with :

A‾=A∪A′.\overline{A}=A\cup A'.
Examples
  • In R\mathbb{R}, if A={1/n:n≥1}A=\{1/n : n\ge1\} then A′={0}A'=\{0\}.
  • In R\mathbb{R}, if A=ZA=\mathbb{Z} then A′=∅A'=\varnothing.
  • In R\mathbb{R}, if A=(0,1)A=(0,1) then A′=[0,1]A'=[0,1].