Finite intersection property theorem
Compactness is equivalent to nonempty intersection for families of closed sets with the finite intersection property
Finite intersection property theorem
Finite intersection property theorem: Let be a topological space and let be given the subspace topology . Then is compact if and only if for every family of closed subsets of with the finite intersection property , one has .
This is an alternative to the open cover definition of compactness and is often the most convenient form for “compactness by contradiction.”