Alphabeta Math
TheoremStatement: AI-adaptedProof: AI-generatedSession-authored (Fable 5 assisted)precheck passjudge pass (z-ai/glm-5.2)audited 2026-07-27
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Heine-Borel in Rn\mathbb{R}^n: with the Euclidean metric a subset of Rn\mathbb{R}^n is compact if and only if it is closed and bounded, and the proof by bisection uses no choice principle; the same holds on the real line

Statement

Let nNn \in \mathbb{N} with n1n \ge 1, let Rn\mathbb{R}^n be the set of functions nRn \to \mathbb{R} and let d2d_2 be the Euclidean metric on it (Rn\mathbb{R}^n as the set of functions nRn \to \mathbb{R}, and d1d_1, d2d_2, dd_\infty are metrics on it). Then:

  1. Closed boxes are compact. For reals akbka_k \le b_k (k<n)(k < n) the box Q={xRn:akxkbk for every k<n}Q = \{\, x \in \mathbb{R}^n : a_k \le x_k \le b_k \text{ for every } k < n \,\} is a compact subset of (Rn,d2)(\mathbb{R}^n, d_2) (Open cover, subcover, compact metric space, and compact subset of a metric space).
  2. Heine-Borel. A subset KRnK \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n is a compact subset of (Rn,d2)(\mathbb{R}^n, d_2) if and only if KK is closed in Rn\mathbb{R}^n (The metric topology: a set is open when every one of its points has a ball around it inside the set; closed means open complement) and bounded (Bounded subset, diameter, distance from a point to a set, and distance between two sets in a metric space).
  3. The real line. A subset KRK \subseteq \mathbb{R} is a compact subset of (R,dR)(\mathbb{R}, d_{\mathbb{R}}), the usual metric dR(x,y)=xyd_{\mathbb{R}}(x,y) = |x-y| (The absolute value makes R\mathbb{R} a metric space: d(x,y)=xyd(x,y) = |x-y| is a metric, its open balls are the intervals (xr,x+r)(x-r, x+r), and it is unbounded), if and only if KK is closed in R\mathbb{R} and bounded.

No choice principle is used. The bisection below halves one coordinate at a time and takes the left half whenever the left half still fails to be finitely covered, the right half otherwise: a rule with two outcomes, decided by a property of the box, not a selection. That is the whole reason the theorem is available in ZF, while the general "complete and totally bounded implies compact" (A complete, totally bounded metric space is compact, proved from countable choice used exactly once) is not.

The hypothesis n1n \ge 1 is inherited from Rn\mathbb{R}^n as the set of functions nRn \to \mathbb{R}, and d1d_1, d2d_2, dd_\infty are metrics on it, which defines Rn\mathbb{R}^n and its metrics only there; the last remark below records what happens at n=0n = 0.

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A natural number n1n \ge 1, the metric space (Rn,d2)(\mathbb{R}^n, d_2), and the notions of open, closed, bounded and compact subset in it.

[L1]

Rn\mathbb{R}^n is the set of functions nRn \to \mathbb{R}, and d2(x,y)=k<n(xkyk)2d_2(x,y) = \sqrt{\sum_{k<n}(x_k-y_k)^2}, d(x,y)=max{xkyk:k<n}d_\infty(x,y) = \max\{|x_k - y_k| : k < n\} are metrics on it (Rn\mathbb{R}^n as the set of functions nRn \to \mathbb{R}, and d1d_1, d2d_2, dd_\infty are metrics on it, Finite sums and finite products, by recursion, Metric space: d(x,y)=0d(x,y) = 0 iff x=yx = y, symmetry, and the triangle inequality; pseudometric and ultrametric).

[L2]

Finite sums of nonnegative terms dominate each term and are monotone, and k<nc=ι(n)c\sum_{k<n} c = \iota(n)c for a constant cc, ι(n)\iota(n) being the canonical natural of R\mathbb{R} (Laws of finite sums and finite products, Finite sums and finite products, by recursion, The canonical natural ι(n)=n1F\iota(n) = n \cdot 1_F of a field).

[L3]

For a,b0a,b \ge 0: aba \le b exactly when a2b2a^2 \le b^2; every a0a \ge 0 has a unique nonnegative square root; and c2=c\sqrt{c^2} = |c| for every real cc (Squaring is monotone on the nonnegatives, Square roots exist: a unique a0\sqrt{a} \ge 0 with (a)2=a(\sqrt{a})^2 = a; the positives are {x2:x0}\{x^2 : x \neq 0\}, Absolute value in an ordered field).

[L4]

A subset AA is compact exactly when every family (Ui)iI(U_i)_{i \in I} of open subsets of the ambient space with AiIUiA \subseteq \bigcup_{i \in I} U_i has finitely many members whose union contains AA, or A=A = \emptyset; and the sets open in the subspace AA are exactly the traces on AA of the open subsets of the ambient space, so, taking complements inside AA, the sets closed in AA are exactly the traces on AA of the closed subsets of the ambient space (A subset of a metric space is open in the subspace metric exactly when it is the trace of an open set of the ambient space, and it is compact as a metric space in its own right exactly when every family of open subsets of the ambient space covering it, indexed or not, has finitely many members covering it, Open cover, subcover, compact metric space, and compact subset of a metric space, The metric topology: a set is open when every one of its points has a ball around it inside the set; closed means open complement, Isometry, isometric embedding, and the subspace metric on a subset).

[L5]

A compact subset of a metric space is closed and bounded (A compact subset of a metric space is closed and bounded).

[L6]

A closed subset of a compact metric space is compact (A closed subset of a compact metric space is compact).

[L7]

Nested closed bounded intervals Im=[αm,βm]I_m = [\alpha_m,\beta_m] with Im+1ImI_{m+1} \subseteq I_m have nonempty intersection, and the intersection is a single point exactly when the lengths tend to 00 (A nested sequence of nonempty closed bounded intervals has nonempty intersection, and the intersection is a single point exactly when the lengths tend to 00, Intervals of R\mathbb{R}: the nine order-convex forms, nondegeneracy, and length, Limits and Cauchy sequences of reals).

[L8]

Recursion: for a set AA, an element aAa \in A and f:AAf : A \to A there is a unique g:NAg : \mathbb{N} \to A with g(0)=ag(0) = a and g(m+1)=f(g(m))g(m+1) = f(g(m)); a stage-dependent rule is handled on A=N×ZA = \mathbb{N} \times Z, the first coordinate of g(m)g(m) then being mm (The recursion theorem, Finite sums and finite products, by recursion).

[L10]

A nonempty finite set of reals has a maximum, one of its members (Every nonempty finite set of reals has a maximum and a minimum, Maximum and minimum of a set).

[L11]

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

For x,yRnx,y \in \mathbb{R}^n and k<nk < n the term (xkyk)2(x_k-y_k)^2 is one of the nonnegative terms of j<n(xjyj)2\sum_{j<n}(x_j-y_j)^2, so (xkyk)2d2(x,y)2(x_k-y_k)^2 \le d_2(x,y)^2, and taking nonnegative square roots gives xkykd2(x,y)|x_k - y_k| \le d_2(x,y); hence d(x,y)d2(x,y)d_\infty(x,y) \le d_2(x,y).

L1L2L3
1.2

Conversely each (xjyj)2d(x,y)2(x_j-y_j)^2 \le d_\infty(x,y)^2, so d2(x,y)2ι(n)d(x,y)2(ι(n)d(x,y))2d_2(x,y)^2 \le \iota(n)\,d_\infty(x,y)^2 \le \big(\iota(n) d_\infty(x,y)\big)^2, the last step because ι(n)1\iota(n) \ge 1; hence d2(x,y)ι(n)d(x,y)d_2(x,y) \le \iota(n)\, d_\infty(x,y).

L1L2L3
2.1

For claim 1 fix reals akbka_k \le b_k (k<n)(k<n) and the box QQ they determine, let (Ui)iI(U_i)_{i \in I} be open subsets of Rn\mathbb{R}^n with QiIUiQ \subseteq \bigcup_{i \in I} U_i, call a set SRnS \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n finitely covered when finitely many of the UiU_i have union containing SS, and suppose for contradiction that QQ is not finitely covered.

L4step 1.1step 1.2assume-contra
3.1

For a box P={x:cjxjej (j<n)}P = \{\, x : c_j \le x_j \le e_j \ (j<n) \,\} with cjejc_j \le e_j and for k<nk < n, let Pk,0P^{k,0} and Pk,1P^{k,1} be the boxes obtained by replacing the kk-th interval [ck,ek][c_k,e_k] by [ck,(ck+ek)/2][c_k, (c_k+e_k)/2] and by [(ck+ek)/2,ek][(c_k+e_k)/2, e_k]; then P=Pk,0Pk,1P = P^{k,0} \cup P^{k,1} by trichotomy applied to xkx_k against the midpoint, the kk-th side length of each is (ekck)/2(e_k-c_k)/2 and the others are unchanged, and if both halves were finitely covered so would PP be, the union of two finite subfamilies being finite. Define Hk(P):=Pk,0H_k(P) := P^{k,0} if Pk,0P^{k,0} is not finitely covered, and Hk(P):=Pk,1H_k(P) := P^{k,1} otherwise; this is a definition by a property, and Hk(P)H_k(P) is not finitely covered whenever PP is.

L7step 2.1
4.1

Recursion on N×Z\mathbb{N} \times Z, with ZZ the set of functions from boxes to boxes, starting value (0,id)(0, \mathrm{id}) and rule (j,h)(j+1, Hjh)(j, h) \mapsto (j+1,\ H_j \circ h) for j<nj < n and (j,h)(j+1,h)(j,h) \mapsto (j+1,h) otherwise, produces GjG_j for every jj; put G:=GnG := G_n. By induction on jnj \le n, Gj(P)PG_j(P) \subseteq P is a box whose kk-th side is half that of PP for k<jk < j and equal to that of PP for kjk \ge j, and Gj(P)G_j(P) is not finitely covered when PP is not. So G(P)PG(P) \subseteq P halves every side and preserves not being finitely covered.

L8step 3.1
5.1

Recursion applied to the starting value QQ and the rule GG produces boxes PmP_m with P0=QP_0 = Q and Pm+1=G(Pm)P_{m+1} = G(P_m); each PmP_m fails to be finitely covered, Pm+1PmP_{m+1} \subseteq P_m, and the kk-th side length of PmP_m is k(1/2)m\ell_k (1/2)^m, where k:=bkak0\ell_k := b_k - a_k \ge 0.

L8step 4.1
6.1

For each k<nk < n the kk-th intervals of the PmP_m form a nested family of closed bounded intervals whose lengths k(1/2)m\ell_k(1/2)^m tend to 00, so their intersection is a single point pkp_k; the function p:nRp : n \to \mathbb{R}, kpkk \mapsto p_k, is a point of Rn\mathbb{R}^n lying in every PmP_m.

L7L9step 5.1
7.1

Since pP0=QiIUip \in P_0 = Q \subseteq \bigcup_{i \in I} U_i, there is iIi^{\ast} \in I with pUip \in U_{i^{\ast}}, and openness gives a real r>0r > 0 with B(p,r)UiB(p,r) \subseteq U_{i^{\ast}}.

L11step 6.1
8.1

Put L:=max{k:k<n}0L := \max\{\ell_k : k < n\} \ge 0 and C:=ι(n)L+1>0C := \iota(n) L + 1 > 0; for xPmx \in P_m each xkpk|x_k - p_k| is at most the kk-th side length of PmP_m, so d(x,p)L(1/2)md_\infty(x,p) \le L (1/2)^m and d2(x,p)ι(n)L(1/2)mC(1/2)md_2(x,p) \le \iota(n) L (1/2)^m \le C (1/2)^m by step 1.2. Taking a natural N1N \ge 1 with 1/N<r/C1/N < r/C and then mm with (1/2)m<1/N(1/2)^m < 1/N gives PmB(p,r)UiP_m \subseteq B(p,r) \subseteq U_{i^{\ast}}, so PmP_m is finitely covered by the single set UiU_{i^{\ast}}, contradicting step 5.1.

L9L10L12step 1.2step 5.1step 6.1step 7.1discharge-contradiction
9.1

Therefore every such family has finitely many members covering QQ, and QQ is a compact subset of (Rn,d2)(\mathbb{R}^n,d_2): claim 1 is proved.

L4step 2.1step 8.1
10.1

For claim 2, a compact KRnK \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n is closed and bounded.

L5step 9.1
11.1

Conversely let KRnK \subseteq \mathbb{R}^n be closed and bounded; if K=K = \emptyset it is compact, and otherwise KB(x0,ρ)K \subseteq B(x_0,\rho) for some x0x_0 and real ρ>0\rho > 0, so every xKx \in K and k<nk < n satisfy xk(x0)k+xk(x0)k(x0)k+d2(x,x0)<(x0)k+ρ|x_k| \le |(x_0)_k| + |x_k - (x_0)_k| \le |(x_0)_k| + d_2(x,x_0) < |(x_0)_k| + \rho by step 1.1; with M:=max{(x0)k:k<n}+ρM := \max\{|(x_0)_k| : k < n\} + \rho the box QM:={x:MxkM (k<n)}Q_M := \{\, x : -M \le x_k \le M \ (k<n) \,\} contains KK.

L10L11step 1.1step 10.1
12.1

KK is the trace on QMQ_M of a closed subset of Rn\mathbb{R}^n, namely of KK itself, so KK is closed in the metric subspace QMQ_M; that subspace is compact by step 9.1, so KK is compact, and claim 2 is proved.

L4L6step 9.1step 11.1
13.1

For claim 3, let ψ:RR1\psi : \mathbb{R} \to \mathbb{R}^1 send tt to the function 1R1 \to \mathbb{R} with value tt; it is a bijection and d2(ψ(s),ψ(t))=(st)2=st=dR(s,t)d_2(\psi(s),\psi(t)) = \sqrt{(s-t)^2} = |s-t| = d_{\mathbb{R}}(s,t), so ψ\psi carries each ball onto the corresponding ball, hence open sets onto open sets and open covers onto open covers with matching finite subfamilies, and likewise closed sets onto closed sets and bounded sets onto bounded sets. Applying claim 2 with n=1n = 1 to ψ[K]\psi[K] therefore gives claim 3.

L1L3L4L11step 12.1

Remarks

Why the bisection halves one coordinate at a time. Halving all nn coordinates at once produces 2n2^n sub-boxes, and choosing one of them canonically means enumerating them, which needs a bijection between the functions n{0,1}n \to \{0,1\} and a natural number. Halving a single coordinate produces two sub-boxes, and "the left one if it is still not finitely covered, the right one otherwise" is a definition by cases needing nothing at all. Composing nn such halvings, as step 4.1 does, recovers the full halving of every side and keeps the construction canonical, which is what a choice-free proof requires.

Where each hypothesis is used. Closedness enters only at step 12.1, through A closed subset of a compact metric space is compact; boundedness enters only at step 11.1, to fit KK inside a box. Dropping either leaves a non-compact set: the whole of Rn\mathbb{R}^n is closed and unbounded, and an open ball is bounded and not closed, and neither is compact by claim 2.

The converse direction is what fails in a general metric space. Claim 2 says that in Rn\mathbb{R}^n closed and bounded is enough; that is special to Rn\mathbb{R}^n, and FALSE: a closed and bounded subset of a metric space is compact records the false general statement together with a witness. What survives in every metric space is only the direction of step 10.1 (A compact subset of a metric space is closed and bounded).

The case n=0n = 0. R0\mathbb{R}^0 has exactly one element, the empty function, and Rn\mathbb{R}^n as the set of functions nRn \to \mathbb{R}, and d1d_1, d2d_2, dd_\infty are metrics on it does not treat it, because dd_\infty would be a maximum over the empty index set. On a one-element set the only metric is the one taking the value 00, and the resulting space is compact for trivial reasons: it is listed as {x0}\{x_0\}, and any family of open sets covering it has a member containing x0x_0 (Open cover, subcover, compact metric space, and compact subset of a metric space). Nothing above is needed for that case and nothing above claims it.

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