Boundary (topology) - Boundary of A Boundary

Boundary of A Boundary

For any set S, ∂S ⊇ ∂∂S, with equality holding if and only if the boundary of S has no interior points, which will be the case for example if S is either closed or open. Since the boundary of a set is closed, ∂∂S = ∂∂∂S for any set S. The boundary operator thus satisfies a weakened kind of idempotence.

In discussing boundaries of manifolds or simplexes and their simplicial complexes, one often meets the assertion that the boundary of the boundary is always empty. Indeed, the construction of the singular homology rests critically on this fact. The explanation for the apparent incongruity is that the topological boundary (the subject of this article) is a slightly different concept than the boundary of a manifold or of a simplicial complex. For example, the topological boundary of a closed disk viewed as a topological space is empty, while its boundary in the sense of manifolds is the circle surrounding the disk.