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I've been reviewing my old exams, and I came across a question that I was unable to answer. Can anyone help me out on this one?

Let $X = \mathbb{R}$, and let $cX$ be the compactification corresponding to the algebra $A \subset C_{b}(X)$ of all uniformly continuous bounded functions. Give an example of two disjoing closed subsets of $X$ which have non-disjoint closures in $cX$. Is the compactification $cX$ metrizable?

I have an idea what to do, but I'm having trouble coming up with an example to the first part of the problem. As for the second part, I'm stuck.

Thanks in advance for any help!

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    @Tunococ: If a closed unital subalgebra $A$ of $C_b(X)$ separates the points of $X$ (for $x \neq y$ there is $a \in A$ such that $a(x) \neq a(y)$) you can embed $X$ homeomorphically into the [spectrum of $A$](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spectrum_of_a_C*-algebra) by sending $x$ to the character $\hat{x} \colon A \to \mathbb{C}$ given by $\hat{x}(a) = a(x)$. Since the spectrum $\sigma(A)$ of $A$ is compact, the embedding $x \mapsto \hat{x}$ from $X$ into $\sigma(A)$ yields a compactification of $X$. See also [Gelfand representation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gelfand_representation).2012-08-31

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The space in question is called the Samuel compactification. I suggest you use the closed subsets of the real line consisting of the integers and the set of elements of the form $n+\frac 1n$ ($n$ an integer) for the first part. A good way to get some results is to note that for the space of integers the Stone-Čech compactification and the Samuel compactification coincide. This, together with the embedding of the integers into the real line, allows the use of some well-known facts about this space (e.g. that it is not metrisable) to get corresponding negative results about the Samuel compactification of the line. (This is implicit in t.b.'s remark)

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Since $cX$ is compact Hausdorff, it is normal, so two closed sets $A,B \subset cX$ are disjoint iff there is a continuous $f : cX \to [0,1]$ which separates them (i.e. $f=0$ on $A$ and $f=1$ on $B$). Such $f$ is the extension of a bounded uniformly continuous $g : X \to [0,1]$.

Can you find two disjoint closed subsets of $X$ which cannot be separated by a bounded uniformly continuous function?

Their closures in $cX$ will be as desired.


For the second part, following my comment, you could find a sequence in $cX$ that has no convergent subsequence, showing that $cX$ is not sequentially compact. $cX$ is compact by construction, and by the Bolzano-Weierstrass theorem, every compact metrizable space is sequentially compact, so this would rule out metrizability.

Maybe we can even choose this sequence to lie in $X$.

Suppose we have a sequence $\{y_n\} \subset X$ that converges in $cX$. In particular, for any continuous $f : cX \to [0,1]$, $\lim f(y_n)$ exists. As before, any bounded uniformly continuous $g : X \to [0,1]$ extends to a continuous function on $cX$, so $\lim g(y_n)$ must exist as well.

So I propose the following:

Find a sequence $\{x_n\} \subset X$ such that, for every subsequence $\{x_{n_k}\}$, there is a bounded uniformly continuous $g: X \to [0,1]$ such that $\lim g(x_{n_k})$ does not exist.

This sequence will have no convergent subsequence in $cX$.

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    @t.b.: Not that I know of, but that doesn’t mean much: I don’t think that I’ve actually run into it before.2012-08-31