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Let $(K_n)$ be a sequence of sets.

What is the negation of the following statement?

For all $U$ open containing $x$, $U \cap K_n \neq \emptyset$ for all but finitely many $n$.

3 Answers 3

7

Let us write the statement formally: $\forall U(x\in U\rightarrow\exists n\forall k(k>n\rightarrow U\cap K_k\neq\varnothing))$ For every $U$ (open of course), if $x\in U$ then there is some $n$ that for all $k>n$ we have $K_k\cap U\neq\varnothing$.

Now negation flips quantifiers and $\lnot(\alpha\rightarrow\beta)$ is the same as $\lnot\beta\land\alpha$. So we have:

$\exists U(x\in U\land\forall n\exists k(k>n\land U\cap K_k=\varnothing))$ Or in words, there exists an open set $U$ such that $x\in U$ but for every $n$ there is some $k>n$ such that $U\cap K_k=\varnothing$. However in the natural numbers to say that something happens unboundedly often is the same as saying it happens infinitely often. So finally we can say:

There exists an open set $U$ such that $x\in U$ and for infinitely many $n$ we have $U\cap K_n=\varnothing$.

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Exists an open set containing $x$ such that $U\cap K_n$ is empty for infinitely many $n$.

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$\neg$(for all $U$ open containing $x$, $U \cap K_n \ne \emptyset$ for all but finitely many $n$).

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    I'm pretty sure this answer is right. I think people who disagree should comment instead of just downvoting it.2016-07-14