Axiom of countability

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In mathematics, an axiom of countability is a property of certain mathematical objects (usually in a category) that requires the existence of a countable set with certain properties, while without it such sets might not exist.

Important countability axioms for topological spaces:

• sequential space: a set is open if every sequence converging to a point in the set is eventually in the set
• first-countable space: every point has a countable neighbourhood basis (local base)
• second-countable space: the topology has a countable base
• separable space: there exists a countable dense subspace
• Lindelöf space: every open cover has a countable subcover
• σ-compact space: there exists a countable cover by compact spaces

Relations:

• Every first countable space is sequential.
• Every second-countable space is first-countable, separable, and Lindelöf.
• Every σ-compact space is Lindelöf.
• A metric space is first-countable.
• For metric spaces second-countability, separability, and the Lindelöf property are all equivalent.

Other examples:

• sigma-finite measure spaces
• lattices of countable type