A path-connected set is a subset A⊆XA\subseteq X of a XX such that for any x,y∈Ax,y\in A there exists a γ ⁣:[0,1]→X\gamma\colon [0,1]\to X with γ(0)=x\gamma(0)=x, γ(1)=y\gamma(1)=y, and γ([0,1])⊆A\gamma([0,1])\subseteq A.

Related notions

Path-connectedness is stronger than (every path-connected set is connected), and it leads to a decomposition of spaces into “path components,” analogous to .

Examples
  • Any in R\mathbb{R} is path-connected, and more generally any convex subset of Rn\mathbb{R}^n is path-connected.
  • The set (−1,0)∪(0,1)⊆R(-1,0)\cup(0,1)\subseteq\mathbb{R} is not path-connected.