Definitions
Suppose that X is a topological space.
X is a completely regular space if given any closed set F and any point x that does not belong to F, then there is a continuous function f from X to the real line R such that f(x) is 0 and, for every y in F, f(y) is 1. In other terms, this condition says that x and F can be separated by a continuous function.
X is a Tychonoff space, or T3½ space, or Tπ space, or completely T3 space if it is both completely regular and Hausdorff.
Note that some mathematical literature uses different definitions for the term "completely regular" and the terms involving "T". The definitions that we have given here are the ones usually used today; however, some authors switch the meanings of the two kinds of terms, or use all terms synonymously for only one condition. In Wikipedia, we will use the terms "completely regular" and "Tychonoff" freely, but we'll avoid the less clear "T" terms. In other literature, you should take care to find out which definitions the author is using. (The phrase "completely regular Hausdorff", however, is unambiguous, and always means a Tychonoff space.) For more on this issue, see History of the separation axioms.
Completely regular spaces and Tychonoff spaces are related through the notion of Kolmogorov equivalence. A topological space is Tychonoff if and only if it's both completely regular and T0. On the other hand, a space is completely regular if and only if its Kolmogorov quotient is Tychonoff.
Read more about this topic: Tychonoff Space
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