Compactness of the product topology and the solvability of infinite systems of infinite linear equations

Abstract

If every finite subsystem of an infinite system of linear equations (say, over the field of real numbers) each with finitely many unknowns has a solution then the entire system has a solution. The situation is not so if the equations contain infinitely many unknowns. In this case, as shown below, the solvability of every finite subsystem implies the solva. bility of the entire system provided finite subsystems have solution with common upper and lower bounds and the coefficients of ever equation satisfy some boundedness or convergence conditions. The passage from the solvability of finite subsystem to the solvability of the entire system is achieved based on Tychnoff’s theorem stating that any product of compact topological spaces is compact in their product topology.