In mathematics, a subset of a metric space is called compact if every open cover of has a finite subcover. An open cover is a collection of open sets whose union contains . Compactness can be intuitively understood as a generalization of closed and bounded subsets in Euclidean space, as encapsulated by the Heine-Borel theorem, which states that a subset of is compact if and only if it is closed and bounded.
Another important aspect of compactness in metric spaces is that every sequence in a compact space has a convergent subsequence, with the limit also residing within the space, a property known as sequential compactness. This characteristic makes compact spaces particularly valuable in analysis and topology, as they allow for the application of various theorems that depend on convergence and continuity.
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