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Let $c_0$ denote the space of sequence that converges to $0$ equipped with the supremum norm. I want to show that $c_0$ embeds inside $C_0(K)$. It seems that I need to consider a sequence of distinct points $(a_n)$ in $K$ and form a sequence of functions $f_n:K\to [0,1]$ that $f_n(a_n)=1$ and $f_n(a_m)=0$ for $m\neq n$ using Urysohn's Lemma. Then to identify a sequence $(x_n)$ in $c_0$ to $g$ where $g$ is given by $g(x)=(\sum_n x_nf_n)(x)$. However, my problem is: How to construct such functions? How to check $g$ is a member of $C_0(K)$?

Thanks in advance.

pmun
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  • Take $K={n^{-1}}_{n=1}^\infty\cup {0},$ $f(n^{-1})=a_n$ and $f(0)=0.$ This gives the isometry between $c_0$ and $C_0(K).$ – Ryszard Szwarc Feb 10 '25 at 22:46
  • Thank you @RyszardSzwarc. But will you kindly elaborate? Also, for a general compact Hausdorff space. I fail to understand. – pmun Feb 11 '25 at 08:13
  • Sorry, I missed that $K$ is an arbitrary. You need to consider a sequence of distinct points $a_n$ which has a unique accumulation point $a$, different from any $a_n.$ Then your construction with $g$ is fine as the series is convergent uniformly and $|g|=\sup|x_n|.$ – Ryszard Szwarc Feb 11 '25 at 09:33

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We first need a sequence $(a_{k})_{k\in\mathbb{N}}$ in $K$ and a sequence $(U_{k})_{k\in\mathbb{N}}$ of disjoint open sets in $K$ with compact closure such that $U_{n}\cap \{a_{k} : k\in\mathbb{N} \} = \{a_{n}\}$ for all $n\in\mathbb{N}$. To establish the existence of such sequences, see here. Now you can proceed with your construction as follows. Let $n\in\mathbb{N}$. By Urysohn's lemma for locally compact Hausdorff spaces (see here) there is a continuous $f_{n}\colon K \to [0,1]$ such that $f_{n}(a_{n}) = 1$ and ${\rm supp} \, f_{n} \subseteq K\setminus U_{n}$. In particular, we have $f_{n}(a_{k}) = 0$ for all $k\in\mathbb{N}\setminus \{n\}$.

We now wish to show the map $\Phi \colon c_{0} \to C_{0}(K)$ given by \begin{equation} (\Phi (\alpha_{k})_{k\in\mathbb{N}})(x) := \sum_{k=1}^{\infty}\alpha_{k} f_{k}(x) \end{equation} is a well-defined linear isometry. Fix a sequence $(\alpha_{k})_{k\in\mathbb{N}} \in c_{0}$. For each $n\in\mathbb{N}$ define $g_{n} \colon K \to \mathbb{K}$ by $g_{n}(x) := \sum_{k=1}^{n} \alpha_{k} f_{k}(x)$. Since $U_{k}$ has compact closure for every $k\in\mathbb{N}$ it follows that $g_{n} \in C_{0}(K)$ for all $n\in\mathbb{N}$. Now let $m,n\in\mathbb{N}$ with $n < m$. Let $x\in K$. Using that $({\rm supp} \, f_{k} )_{k\in\mathbb{N}}$ is a sequence of disjoint sets and that $f_{k}$ takes values in $[0,1]$ for each $k\in\mathbb{N}$, we obtain \begin{equation} |g_{n}(x) - g_{m}(x)| = \Big|\sum_{k=n+1}^{m} \alpha_{k} f_{k}(x) \Big| \leq \sum_{k=n+1}^{m} |\alpha_{k}| f_{k}(x) \leq \sup\{|\alpha_{k}| : k\in \mathbb{N}\setminus \{1, \ldots , n\} \} \end{equation} and hence \begin{equation} \|g_{n} - g_{m}\|_{\infty} \leq \sup\{|\alpha_{k}| : k\in \mathbb{N}\setminus \{1, \ldots , n\} \}. \end{equation} As $(\alpha_{k})_{k\in\mathbb{N}} \in c_{0}$ this shows that $(g_{n})_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ is a Cauchy sequence in $C_{0}(K)$. By completeness the sequence $(g_{n})_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ converges uniformly to $g \in C_{0}(K)$ given by $g(x) := \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} \alpha_{k} f_{k}(x)$. Now let $x\in K$. Using again that $({\rm supp} \, f_{k} )_{k\in\mathbb{N}}$ is a sequence of disjoint sets and that $f_{k}$ takes values in $[0,1]$ for each $k\in\mathbb{N}$, we have \begin{equation} |g(x)| \leq \sum_{k=1}^{\infty} |\alpha_{k}| f_{k}(x) \leq \sup \{|\alpha_{k}| : k\in\mathbb{N} \} \end{equation} for every $x\in K$. Hence $\|g\|_{\infty} \leq \sup \{|\alpha_{k}| : k\in\mathbb{N} \}$. On the other hand, $g (a_{n}) = \alpha_{n}$ for every $n\in\mathbb{N}$ and it follows that $\sup \{|\alpha_{k}| : k\in\mathbb{N} \} \leq \|g\|_{\infty}$. Hence $\|g\|_{\infty} = \sup \{|\alpha_{k}| : k\in\mathbb{N} \}$. From what has been shown the map $\Phi$ is a well-defined isometry. Since $\Phi$ is clearly linear, we are done.

Dean Miller
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