Ordinals and set-valued zero-selections for hyperspaces

A continuous zero-selection f for the Vietoris hyperspace F(X) of the nonempty closed subsets of a space X is a Vietoris continuous map f:F(X)→X which assigns to every nonempty closed subset an isolated point of it. It is well known that a compact space X has a continuous zero-selection if and only if it is an ordinal space, or, equivalently, if X can be mapped onto an ordinal space by a continuous one-to-one surjection. In this paper, we prove that a compact space X has an upper semi-continuous set-valued zero-selection for its Vietoris hyperspace F(X) if and only if X can be mapped onto an ordinal space by a continuous finite-to-one surjection.     

Hereditary normality-type properties of hyperspaces

Let X be a Hausdorff topological space and exp(X) be the space of all (nonempty) closed subsets of a space X with the Vietoris topology. We consider hereditary normality-type properties of exp(X). In particular, we prove that if exp(X) is hereditarily D-normal, then X is a metrizable compact space.     

Whitney preserving maps on finite graphs

For a Whitney preserving map f:X→G we show the following: (a) If X is arcwise connected and G is a graph which is not a simple closed curve, then f is a homeomorphism; (b) If X is locally connected and G is a simple closed curve, then X is homeomorphic to either the unit interval [0,1], or the unit circle S¹. As a consequence of these results, we characterize all Whitney preserving maps between finite graphs. We also show that every hereditarily weakly confluent Whitney preserving map between locally connected continua is a homeomorphism.     

On a problem concerning generalizations of realcompact spaces

PF-compact spaces are defined. Every almost realcompact space is PF-compact and every separable PF-compact space is almost realcompact. Nonetheless in the constructible universe V = L, a space of cardinality ?₁ is PF-compact if, and only if, the closure of each of its countable subsets is almost realcompact, and ω₁ is hereditarily PF-compact.     

A note on D-spaces

We introduce notions of nearly good relations and N-sticky modulo a relation as tools for proving that spaces are D-spaces. As a corollary to general results about such relations, we show that Cp(X) is hereditarily a D-space whenever X is a Lindelöf Σ-space. This answers a question of Matveev, and improves a result of Buzyakova, who proved the same result for X compact.We also prove that if a space X is the union of finitely many D-spaces, and has countable extent, then X is linearly Lindelöf. It follows that if X is in addition countably compact, then X must be compact. We also show that Corson compact spaces are hereditarily D-spaces. These last two results answer recent questions of Arhangel'skii. Finally, we answer a question of van Douwen by showing that a perfectly normal collectionwise-normal non-paracompact space constructed by R. Pol is a D-space.     

Arc-smoothness in hyperspaces

Let X be a metric continuum and 2^x (C(X)) denote the hyperspace of closed subsets (subcontinua) of X. The concept of arc-smoothness, which is a special type of contractibility, is investigated in 2^x and C(X). Results are obtained about hyperspaces of locally connected continua, about continua for which C(X) and the cone over X are homeomorphic, about Whitney levels in C(X), and about hyperspaces of hereditarily indecomposable continua. Some examples are given and several natural questions are raised.     

Continuous selections avoiding extreme points

It is shown that if X is a countably paracompact collectionwise normal space, Y is a Banach space and φ:X→Y² is a lower semicontinuous mapping such that φ(x) is Y or a compact convex subset with Cardφ(x)>1 for each x∈X, then φ admits a continuous selection f:X→Y such that f(x) is not an extreme point of φ(x) for each x∈X. This is an affirmative answer to the problem posed by V. Gutev, H. Ohta and K. Yamazaki [V. Gutev, H. Ohta and K. Yamazaki, Selections and sandwich-like properties via semi-continuous Banach-valued functions, J. Math. Soc. Japan 55 (2003) 499-521].     

A pair of spaces of upper semi-continuous maps and continuous maps

For a Tychonoff space X, we use ↓USC(X) and ↓C(X) to denote the families of the regions below all upper semi-continuous maps and of the regions below all continuous maps from X to I=[0,1], respectively. In this paper, we consider the spaces ↓USC(X) and ↓C(X) topologized as subspaces of the hyperspace Cld(X×I) consisting of all non-empty closed sets in X×I endowed with the Vietoris topology. We shall prove that ↓USC(X) is homeomorphic (≈) to the Hilbert cube Q=ω[−1,1] if and only if X is an infinite compact metric space. And we shall prove that (↓USC(X),↓C(X))≈(Q,c₀), where , if and only if ↓C(X)≈c₀ if and only if X is a compact metric space and the set of isolated points is not dense in X.     

On D-Paracompact spaces

Following Pareek a topological space X is called D-paracompact if for every open cover $\text{A}$ of X there exists a continuous mapping f from X onto a developable T₁-space Y and an open cover $\text{B}$ of Y such that { f^-1[B]|B ∈ $\text{B}$ } refines $\text{A}$. It is shown that a space is D-paracompact if and only if it is subparacompact and D-expandable. Moreover, it is proved that D-paracompactness coincides with a covering property, called dissectability, which was introduced by the author in order to obtain a base characterization of developable spaces.     

A wage-type example with a pseudocompact factor

The following example is constructed without any set-theoretic assumptions beyond ZFC: There exist a hereditarily separable hereditarily Lindelöf space X and a first-countable locally compact separable pseudocompact space Y such that dim X = dimY = 0, while dim(X × Y)>0.     

Approximations of relations by continuous functions

Let X be a Tychonoff space, C(X) be the space of all continuous real-valued functions defined on X and CL(X×R) be the hyperspace of all nonempty closed subsets of X×R. We prove the following result. Let X be a countably paracompact normal space. The following are equivalent: (a) dimX=0; (b) the closure of C(X) in CL(X×R) with the Vietoris topology consists of all F∈CL(X×R) such that F(x)≠∅ for every x∈X and F maps isolated points into singletons; (c) each usco map which maps isolated points into singletons can be approximated by continuous functions in CL(X×R) with the locally finite topology. From the mentioned result we can also obtain the answer to Problem 5.5 in [L'. Holá, R.A. McCoy, Relations approximated by continuous functions, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 133 (2005) 2173-2182] and to Question 5.5 in [R.A. McCoy, Comparison of hyperspace and function space topologies, Quad. Mat. 3 (1998) 243-258] in the realm of normal, countably paracompact, strongly zero-dimensional spaces. Generalizations of some results from [L'. Holá, R.A. McCoy, Relations approximated by continuous functions, Proc. Amer. Math. Soc. 133 (2005) 2173-2182] are also given.     

Realcompactness in maximal and submaximal spaces

We study realcompactness in the classes of submaximal and maximal spaces. It is shown that a normal submaximal space of cardinality less than the first measurable is realcompact. ZFC examples of submaximal not realcompact and maximal not realcompact spaces are constructed. These examples answer questions posed in [O.T. Alas, M. Sanchis, M.G. Tka?enko, V.V. Tkachuk, R.G. Wilson, Irresolvable and submaximal spaces: homogeneity versus σ-discreteness and new ZFC examples, Topology Appl. 107 (3) (2000) 259-273] and generalize some results from [D.P. Baturov, On perfectly normal dense subspaces of products, Topology Appl. 154 (2) (2007) 374-383].     

Extension theorems for some classes of continua

It is proved that every mapping from a proper subcontinuum of a hereditarily unicoherent continuum X onto the Knaster's indecomposable continuum (onto a cone over a zerodimensional compact metric set) can be extended to a mapping defined on X.Similarly, every mapping from a proper subcontinuum of a hereditarily indecomposable continuum onto a pseudoarc can be extended to a mapping defined on the whole space.Both of the above results are generalizations of the author's earlier results to the nonmetric case. As a consequence it is obtained that a pseudoarc is continuously n-homogeneous.     

A class of extension properties that are not simply generated

Let $\text{P}$ be a closed-hereditary topological property preserved by products. Call a space $\text{P}$-regular if it is homeomorphic to a subspace of a product of spaces with $\text{P}$. Suppose that each $\text{P}$-regular space possesses a $\text{P}$-regular compactification. It is well-known that each $\text{P}$-regular space X is densely embedded in a unique space γ_scPX with $\text{P}$ such that if f: X → Y is continuous and Y has $\text{P}$, then f extends continuously to γ_scPX. Call $\text{P}$-pseudocompact if γ_scPX is compact.Associated with $\text{P}$ is another topological property $\text{P}$^#, possessing all the properties hypothesized for $\text{P}$ above, defined as follows: a $\text{P}$-regular space X has $\text{P}$^# if each $\text{P}$-pseudocompact closed subspace of X is compact. It is known that the $\text{P}$-pseudocompact spaces coincide with the $\text{P}$^#-pseudocompact spaces, and that $\text{P}$^# is the largest closed-hereditary, productive property for which this is the case. In this paper we prove that if $\text{P}$ is not the property of being compact and $\text{P}$-regular, then $\text{P}$^# is not simply generated; in other words, there does not exist a space E such that the spaces with $\text{P}$^# are precisely those spaces homeomorphic to closed subspaces of powers of E.     

Vietoris topology on partial maps with compact domains

The space PK of partial maps with compact domains (identified with their graphs) forms a subspace of the hyperspace of nonempty compact subsets of a product space endowed with the Vietoris topology. Various completeness properties of PK, including ?ech-completeness, sieve completeness, strong Choquetness, and (hereditary) Baireness, are investigated. Some new results on the hyperspace K(X) of compact subsets of a Hausdorff X with the Vietoris topology are obtained; in particular, it is shown that there is a strongly Choquet X, with 1st category K(X).     

QN-spaces, wQN-spaces and covering properties

The main results of the paper are as follows: covering characterizations of wQN-spaces, covering characterizations of QN-spaces and a theorem saying that Cp(X) has the Arkhangel'ski?ˇ property (α₁) provided that X is a QN-space. The latter statement solves a problem posed by M. Scheepers [M. Scheepers, Cp(X) and Arhangel'ski?ˇ's αi-spaces, Topology Appl. 89 (1998) 265-275] and for Tychonoff spaces was independently proved by M. Sakai [M. Sakai, The sequence selection properties of Cp(X), Preprint, April 25, 2006]. As the most interesting result we consider the equivalence that a normal topological space X is a wQN-space if and only if X has the property S₁(Γshr,Γ). Moreover we show that X is a QN-space if and only if Cp(X) has the property (α₀), and for perfectly normal spaces, if and only if X has the covering property (β₃).     

Local connectedness and extension of uniformly continuous functions

A metric space X is straight if for each finite cover of X by closed sets, and for each real valued function f on X, if f is uniformly continuous on each set of the cover, then f is uniformly continuous on the whole of X. The straight spaces have been studied in [A. Berarducci, D. Dikranjan, J. Pelant, An additivity theorem for uniformly continuous functions, Topology and its Applications 146-147 (2005) 339-352], which contains characterization of the straight spaces within the class of the locally connected spaces (they are the uniformly locally connected ones) and the class of the totally disconnected spaces (they coincide with the totally disconnected Atsuji spaces). We show that the completion of a straight space is straight and we characterize the dense straight subspaces of a straight space. In order to clarify further the relation between straightness and the level of local connectedness of the space we introduce two more intermediate properties between straightness and uniform local connectedness and we give various examples to distinguish them. One of these properties coincides with straightness for complete spaces and provides in this way a useful characterization of complete straight spaces in terms of the behaviour of the quasi-components of the space.     

The product of two ordinals is hereditarily dually discrete

Let μ and ν be two ordinals. If X is a subspace of μ×ν, then X is dually discrete. This gives a positive answer to a question of Alas, Junqueira and Wilson. By this conclusion and a known conclusion we show that a subspace Y of μ×ν has countable spread if and only if the space Y is hereditarily a Lindelöf D-space.     

The metacompactness of spaces with bases of subinfinite rank

Let X be a set. A collection $\text{U}$of subsets of X has subinfinite rank if whenever $\text{V}$ ? $\text{U}$, ∩$\text{V}$≠ø, and $\text{V}$ is infinite, then there are two distinct elements of $\text{V}$, one of which is a subset of the other. Theorem. AT₁space with a base of subinfinite rank is hereditarily metacompact.