Connectifying a space by adding one point

Abstract

It is a classical theorem of Alexandroff that a locally compact Hausdorff space has a one-point Hausdorff compactification if and only if it is non-compact. The one-point Hausdorff compactification is indeed obtained by adding the so called "point at infinity." Here we consider the analogous problem of existence of a one-point connectification, and keeping analogy, we prove that a locally connected normal space has a one-point normal connectification if and only if it has no compact component.

4 pages