Definition
Let X and Y be two topological spaces, and let C(X,Y) denote the set of all continuous maps between X and Y. Given a compact subset K of X and an open subset U of Y, let V(K,U) denote the set of all functions ƒ ∈ C(X,Y) such that ƒ(K) ⊂ U. Then the collection of all such V(K,U) is a subbase for the compact-open topology on C(X,Y). (This collection does not always form a base for a topology on C(X,Y).)
When working in the category of compactly-generated spaces, it is common to modify this definition by restricting to the subbase formed from those K which are the image of a compact Hausdorff space. Of course, if X is compactly generated and Hausdorff, this definition coincides with the previous one. However, the modified definition is crucial if one wants the convenient category of compactly-generated weak Hausdorff spaces to be Cartesian closed, among other useful properties. The confusion between this definition and the one above is caused by differing usage of the word compact.
Read more about this topic: Compact-open Topology
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