Retraction spaces and the homotopy metric

Let X be a finite-dimensional compactum. Let $\text{R}$(X) and $\text{N}$(X) be the spaces of retractions and non-deformation retractions of X, respectively, with the compact-open (=sup-metric) topology. Let 2^X_h be the space of non-empty compact ANR subsets of X with topology induced by the homotopy metric. Let R^X_h be the subspace of 2^X_h consisting of the ANR's in X that are retracts of X.We show that $\text{N}$(S^m) is simply-connected for m > 1. We show that if X is an ANR and A₀?R^X_h, then lim_i→∞A_i=A₀ in 2^X_h if and only if for every retraction r₀ of X onto A₀ there are, for almost all i, retractions r_i of X onto A_i such that lim_i→∞r_i=r_o in $\text{R}$(X). We show that if X is an ANR, then the local connectedness of $\text{R}$(X) implies that of R^X_h. We prove that $\text{R}$(M) is locally connected if M is a closed surface. We give examples to show how some of our results weaken when X is not assumed to be an ANR.     

On metric spaces with the Haver property which are Menger spaces

A metric space (X,d) has the Haver property if for each sequence ?₁,?₂,… of positive numbers there exist disjoint open collections V₁,V₂,… of open subsets of X, with diameters of members of Vi less than ?i and covering X, and the Menger property is a classical covering counterpart to σ-compactness. We show that, under Martin's Axiom MA, the metric square (X,d)×(X,d) of a separable metric space with the Haver property can fail this property, even if X² is a Menger space, and that there is a separable normed linear Menger space M such that (M,d) has the Haver property for every translation invariant metric d generating the topology of M, but not for every metric generating the topology. These results answer some questions by L. Babinkostova [L. Babinkostova, When does the Haver property imply selective screenability? Topology Appl. 154 (2007) 1971-1979; L. Babinkostova, Selective screenability in topological groups, Topology Appl. 156 (1) (2008) 2-9].     

Lelek maps and n-dimensional maps from compacta to polyhedra

For a natural number m?0, a map from a compactum X to a metric space Y is an m-dimensional Lelek map if the union of all non-trivial continua contained in the fibers of f is of dimension ?m. In [M. Levin, Certain finite-dimensional maps and their application to hyperspaces, Israel J. Math. 105 (1998) 257-262], Levin proved that in the space C(X,I) of all maps of an n-dimensional compactum X to the unit interval I=[0,1], almost all maps are (n−1)-dimensional Lelek maps. Moreover, he showed that in the space C(X,Ik) of all maps of an n-dimensional compactum X to the k-dimensional cube Ik (k?1), almost all maps are (n−k)-dimensional Lelek maps. In this paper, we generalize Levin's result. For any (separable) metric space Y, we define the piecewise embedding dimension ped(Y) of Y and we prove that in the space C(X,Y) of all maps of an n-dimensional compactum X to a complete metric ANR Y, almost all maps are (n−k)-dimensional Lelek maps, where k=ped(Y). As a corollary, we prove that in the space C(X,Y) of all maps of an n-dimensional compactum X to a Peano curve Y, almost all maps are (n−1)-dimensional Lelek maps and in the space C(X,M) of all maps of an n-dimensional compactum X to a k-dimensional Menger manifold M, almost all maps are (n−k)-dimensional Lelek maps. It is known that k-dimensional Lelek maps are k-dimensional maps for k?0.     

Convex vector lattices and l-algebras

For A an Archimedean Riesz space (=vector lattice) with distinguished positive weak unit e_A, we have the Yosida representation  as a Riesz space in D(X_A), the lattice of extended real valued functions on the space of e_A-maximal ideas. This note is about those A for which  is a convex subset of D(X_A); we call such A “convex”.Convex Riesz spaces arise from the general issue of embedding as a Riesz ideal, from consideration of uniform- and order-completeness, and from some problems involving comparison of maximal ideal spaces (which we won't discuss here; see [10]).The main results here are: (2.4) A is convex iff A is contained as a Riesz ideal in a uniformly complete Φ-algebra B with identity e_A. (3.1) Any A has a convex reflection (i.e., embeds into a convex B with a universal mapping property for Riesz homomorphisms; moreover, the embedding is epic and large).     

Wijsman topology on function spaces

LetC(X,Y) be the space of continuous functions from a metric space (X,d) to a metric space (Y, e).C(X, Y) can be thought as subset of the hyperspaceCL(X×Y) of closed and nonempty subsets ofX×Y by identifying each element ofC(X,Y) with its graph. We considerC(X,Y) with the topology inherited from the Wijsman topology induced onCL(X×Y) by the box metric ofd ande. We study the relationships between the Wijsman topology and the compact-open topology onC(X,Y) and also conditions under which the Wijsman topology coincide with the Fell topology. Sufficient conditions under which the compactopen topology onC(X,Y) is weaker than the Wijsman topology are given (IfY is totally bounded, then for every metric spaceX the compactopen topology onC(X,Y) is weaker than the Wijsman topology and the same is true forX locally connected andY rim-totally bounded). We prove that a metric spaceX is boundedly compact iff the Wijsman topology onC(X, ℝ) is weaker than the compact-open topology. We show that ifX is a σ-compact complete metric space andY a compact metric space, then the Wijsman topology onC(X,Y) is Polish.     

Separable complete ANR's admitting a group structure are Hilbert manifolds

Let X be a complete-metrizable, separable ANR. The following two facts are shown: (a) if X admits a topological group structure, then either this is a Lie group structure or X is an l₂-manifold; (b) If X is a closed convex set in a complete metric linear space, then X is either locally compact or homeomorphic to l₂.     

More stratifiable function spaces

If X is a compact-covering image of a closed subspace of product of a σ-compact Polish space and a compact space, then Ck(X,M), the space of continuous maps of X into M with the compact-open topology, is stratifiable for any metric space M.If X is σ-compact Polish, K is compact and M metric then every point of Ck(X×K,M) has a closure-preserving local base, and hence this function space is M₁.     

Completeness of the Space of Separable Measures in the Kantorovich-Rubinshtein Metric

We consider the space M(X) of separable measures on the Borel σ-algebra ?(X) of a metric space X. The space M(X) is furnished with the Kantorovich-Rubinshtein metric known also as the “Hutchinson distance” (see [1]). We prove that M(X) is complete if and only if X is complete. We consider applications of this theorem in the theory of selfsimilar fractals.     

Local selections and local dendrites

Let X be a Peano continuum, C(X) its space of subcontinua, and C(X, ε) the space of subcontinua of diameter less than ε. A selection on some subspace of C(X) is a continuous choice function; the selection σ is rigid if σ(A) ? B ? A implies σ(A) = σ(B). It is shown that X is a local dendrite (contains at most one simple closed curve) if and only if there exists ε > 0 such that C(X, ε) admits a selection (rigid selection). Further, C(X) admits a local selection at the subcontinuum A if and only if A has a neighborhood (relative to the space C(X)) which contains no cyclic local dendrite; moreover, that local selection may be chosen to be a constant.     

The notion of o-tightness and C-embedded subspaces of products

We consider the question: when is a dense subset of a space XC-embedded in X? We introduce the notion of o-tightness and prove that if each finite subproduct of a product X = Π_α?AX_α has a countable o-tightness and Y is a subset of X such that π_B(Y) = Π_α?BX_α for every countable B ? A, then Y is C-embedded in X. This result generalizes some of Noble and Ulmer's results on C-embedding.     

Some properties of C(X), I

By a result of A.V. Arhangel'skiǐ and E.G. Pytkeiev, the space C(X) of the continuous real functions on X with the topology of pointwise convergence has tightness ω iff Xⁿ is Lindelöf for every n ∈ ω. In this paper we describe other convergence properties of C(X) (e.g. the Fréchet-Urysohn properly) in terms of covering properties of X.In some cases the equivalence between these properties turn out to be dependent on the set theory we choose. Some open problems are also stated.     

Fragmentability of groups and metric-valued function spaces

Let (X,τ) be a topological space and let ρ be a metric defined on X. We shall say that (X,τ) is fragmented by ρ if whenever ε>0 and A is a nonempty subset of X there is a τ-open set U such that U∩A≠∅ and ρ−diam(U∩A)<ε. In this paper we consider the notion of fragmentability, and its generalisation σ-fragmentability, in the setting of topological groups and metric-valued function spaces. We show that in the presence of Baireness fragmentability of a topological group is very close to metrizability of that group. We also show that for a compact Hausdorff space X, σ-fragmentability of (C(X),‖⋅_‖∞) implies that the space Cp(X;M) of all continuous functions from X into a metric space M, endowed with the topology of pointwise convergence on X, is fragmented by a metric whose topology is at least as strong as the uniform topology on C(X;M). The primary tool used is that of topological games.     

Step functions from the half-open unit interval into a topological space

The set of continuous-from-the-right step functions from the half-open unit interval[0, 1[into a topological space X is denoted by X¹. Elsewhere a topology has been defined which makes X¹ a contractible, locally contractible space with the subspace of constant functions being homeomorphic to X. When X has a bounded metric ?, the topology of X¹ may be described by the metric $\text{d>(f,g)=}\text{∫}\text{0}\text{1}\text{ρ(f(t),g(t))dt}$.It is shown here that if X is separable, then X¹ is separable and if X satisfies the first (or second) axiom of countability, then X¹ satisfies it too. In contrast, it is shown that properties such as normality do not extend from X to X¹. This follows from the main result: X¹ is homeomorphic to its square, and thus contains a copy of X×X (which is closed when X is Hausdorff). The final theorem states that if X has at least two points then X¹ is not complete metrizable.     

Pointwise bornological spaces

With each metric space (X,d) we can associate a bornological space (X,Bd) where Bd is the set of all subsets of X with finite diameter. Equivalently, Bd is the set of all subsets of X that are contained in a ball with finite radius. If the metric d can attain the value infinite, then the set of all subsets with finite diameter is no longer a bornology. Moreover, if d is no longer symmetric, then the set of subsets with finite diameter does not coincide with the set of subsets that are contained in a ball with finite radius. In this text we will introduce two structures that capture the concept of boundedness in both symmetric and non-symmetric extended metric spaces.     

Expansive canonical coordinates are hyperbolic

Theorem. Let ?:X→X be an expansive homeomorphism of a compact metric space onto itself and let ? have canonical coordinates. Then there exists a metric compatible with the topology of X with respect to which the canonical coordinates are hyperbolic.     

Zero-separating algebras of continuous functions

Let A be a lattice-ordered algebra endowed with a topology compatible with the structure of algebra. We provide internal conditions for A to be isomorphic as lattice-ordered algebras and homeomorphic to Ck(X), the lattice-ordered algebra C(X) of real continuous functions on a completely regular and Hausdorff topological space X, endowed with the topology of uniform convergence on compact sets. As a previous step, we determine this topology among the locally m-convex topologies on C(X) with the property that each order closed interval is bounded.     

Topologizing homeomorphism groups of rim-compact spaces

Let X be a Tychonoff space, H(X) the group of all self-homeomorphisms of X with the usual composition and the evaluation function. Topologies on H(X) providing continuity of the evaluation function are called admissible. Topologies on H(X) compatible with the group operations are called group topologies. Whenever X is locally compact T₂, there is the minimum among all admissible group topologies on H(X). That can be described simply as a set-open topology, further agreeing with the compact-open topology if X is also locally connected. We show the same result in two essentially different cases of rim-compactness. The former one, where X is rim-compact T₂ and locally connected. The latter one, where X agrees with the rational number space Q equipped with the euclidean topology. In the first case the minimal admissible group topology on H(X) is the closed-open topology determined by all closed sets with compact boundaries contained in some component of X. Moreover, whenever X is also separable metric, it is Polish. In the rational case the minimal admissible group topology on H(Q) is just the closed-open topology. In both cases the minimal admissible group topology on H(X) is closely linked to the Freudenthal compactification of X. The Freudenthal compactification in rim-compactness plays a key role as the one-point compactification does in local compactness. In the rational case we investigate whether the fine or Whitney topology on H(Q) induces an admissible group topology on H(Q) stronger than the closed-open topology.     

Atsuji completions: Equivalent characterisations

A metric space (X,d) is called an Atsuji space if every real-valued continuous function on (X,d) is uniformly continuous. It is well known that an Atsuji space must be complete. A metric space (X,d) is said to have an Atsuji completion if its completion is an Atsuji space. In this paper, we study twenty-nine equivalent characterisations for a metric space to have an Atsuji completion.