Compactness in fuzzy convergence spaces

Lowen and Lowen Applications of category theory to fuzzy subsets (Kluwer, 1992) p. 153] and Lowen et al. Fuzzy Sets and Systems 40 (1991) 347] recently introduced the category FCS of fuzzy convergence spaces, a topological quasitopos which is a supercategory of FTS, the category of fuzzy topological spaces. In this paper, compactness in FCS is examined. Doing so we found that to define compactness as an absolute property we had to generalize the definition of fuzzy convergence space to fuzzy subsets. All basic theorems are proved including the Tychonoff product theorem. Based on the theory developed here, in a following publication, a Richardson compactification for fuzzy convergence spaces will be given.