Finite graphs have unique symmetric products

Let X be a metric continuum and let Fn(X) be the nth symmetric product of X (Fn(X) is the hyperspace of nonempty subsets of X with at most n points). In this paper we prove that if Fn(X) is homeomorphic to Fn(Y), where X is a finite graph and Y is a continuum, then X is homeomorphic to Y.     

Rigidity of symmetric products

Given a metric continuum X, we consider the following hyperspaces of X  : 2^X$2^X$, _Cn(X)$C_n(X)$ and _Fn(X)$F_n(X)$ (n∈N$n\in \mathbb{N}$). Let _F1(X)={{x}:x∈X}$F_1(X)=\{\{x\}:x\in X\}$. A hyperspace K(X)$K(X)$ of X   is said to be rigid provided that for every homeomorphism h:K(X)→K(X)$h:K(X)\to K(X)$ we have that h(_F1(X))=_F1(X)$h(F_1(X))=F_1(X)$. In this paper we study under which conditions a continuum X   has a rigid hyperspace _Fn(X)$F_n(X)$.     

Making holes in hyperspaces

Let X be a metric continuum and C(X) the hyperspace of all nonempty subcontinua of X. Let A∈C(X), A is said to make a hole in C(X), if C(X)−{A} is not unicoherent. In this paper we study the following problem.Problem: For which A∈C(X), A makes a hole in C(X).In this paper we present some partial solutions to this problem in the following cases: (1) A is a free arc; (2) A is a one-point set; (3) A is a free simple closed curve; (4) A=X.     

o-Boundedness of free topological groups

Assuming the absence of Q-points (which is consistent with ZFC) we prove that the free topological group F(X) over a Tychonov space X is o-bounded if and only if every continuous metrizable image T of X satisfies the selection principle fin_?(O,Ω) (the latter means that for every sequence 〈un〉_n∈ω of open covers of T there exists a sequence 〈vn〉_n∈ω such that vn∈[un]^<ω and for every F∈[X]^<ω there exists n∈ω with F⊂?vn). This characterization gives a consistent answer to a problem posed by C. Hernándes, D. Robbie, and M. Tkachenko in 2000.     

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.     

Blockers in hyperspaces

Given a metric continuum X, let X² and C(X) denote the hyperspaces of all nonempty closed subsets and subcontinua, respectively. For A,B∈X² we say that B does not block A if A∩B=∅ and the union of all subcontinua of X intersecting A and contained in X−B is dense in X. In this paper we study some sets of blockers for several kinds of continua. In particular, we determine their Borel classes and, for a large class of locally connected continua X, we recognize them as cap-sets.     

A generalization of Gruenhage's example

We construct, assuming the continuum hypothesis, an example of nonmetrizable n-dimensional Cantor manifold Xn(n∈N) with the following properties: 1) is hereditarily separable for all k∈N; 2) is perfectly normal for every k∈N; 3) the space F(Xn) is hereditarily normal for every seminormal functor F that preserves weights and one-to-one points and such that sp(F)={1,k}; in particular, and λ₃Xn are hereditarily normal. This example is a generalization of famous Gruenhage's example given in Gruenhage and Nyikos (1993) [4].     

Cells in hyperspaces

Let C(X) denote the hyperspace of subcontinua of a continuum X. For A∈C(X), define the hyperspace . Let k∈N, k?2. We prove that A is contained in the core of a k-od if and only if C(A,X) contains a k-cell.     

Various types of local connectedness in n-fold hyperspaces

Let X be a continuum. The n-fold hyperspace Cn(X), n<∞, is the space of all nonempty compact subsets of X with the Hausdorff metric. Four types of local connectivity at points of Cn(X) are investigated: connected im kleinen, locally connected, arcwise connected im kleinen and locally arcwise connected. Characterizations, as well as necessary or sufficient conditions, are obtained for Cn(X) to have one or another of the local connectivity properties at a given point. Several results involve the property of Kelley or C^*-smoothness. Some new results are obtained for C(X), the space of subcontinua of X. A class of continua X is given for which Cn(X) is connected im kleinen only at subcontinua of X and for which any two such subcontinua must intersect.     

Open selections on smooth fans

Given a dendroid X, an open selection is an open map such that s(A)∈A for every A∈C(X). We show that a smooth fan X admits an open selection if and only if X is locally connected.     

Embeddability of multiple cones

The main result of this paper is that if X is a Peano continuum such that its nth cone Cn(X) embeds into Rn+2 then X embeds into S². This solves a problem proposed by W. Rosicki.     

Extraordinary dimension of maps

We consider the extraordinary dimension dimL introduced recently by Shchepin [E.V. Shchepin, Arithmetic of dimension theory, Russian Math. Surveys 53 (5) (1998) 975-1069]. If L is a CW-complex and X a metrizable space, then dimLX is the smallest number n such that ΣnL is an absolute extensor for X, where ΣnL is the nth suspension of L. We also write dimLf?n, where is a given map, provided dimLf⁻¹(y)?n for every y∈Y. The following result is established: Supposeis a perfect surjection between metrizable spaces, Y a C-space and L a countable CW-complex. Then conditions (1)-(3) below are equivalent:

(1)

dimLf?n;

(2)

There exists a dense andGδsubsetGofC(X,In)with the source limitation topology such thatdimL(f×g)=0for everyg∈G;

(3)

There exists a mapis such thatdimL(f×g)=0;If, in addition, X is compact, then each of the above three conditions is equivalent to the following one;

(4)

There exists anFσsetA⊂Xsuch thatdimLA?n−1and the restriction mapf|(X?A)is of dimensiondimf|(X?A)?0.

     

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).     

Expansive homeomorphisms and plane separating continua

A homeomorphism is expansive provided that there exists a constant c>0 and for every x,y∈X there exists an integer n, dependent only on x and y, such that d(hn(x),hn(y))>c. It is shown that if X is a 1-dimensional continuum that separates the plane into 2 pieces, then h cannot be expansive.     

Splitting manifolds as M × R where M has a k-fold end structure

Let X be a locally finite simplicial complex of dimension n, n? 5, equipped with a k-fold end structure [4] and consider a piecewise linear (n + 1)-dimensional manifold M that is proper homotopy equivalent to X × R by F:M → X × R, where R is the set of real numbers. The question arises as to whether or not the manifold M can be split, i.e., written as M = N × R where N is a n-manifold and where there is a proper homotopy between F and (p₁ ° F₀) × id:N × R → X × R, preserving the natural (k+1)-fold end structure, where F₀ is F|_N and p₁ is the projection X × R → X. Of particular significance is the fact that X is noncompact. When the construction of such splittings is attempted, algebraic obstructions arise, which vanish if and only if the construction can be completed. This paper develops such an obstruction theory by utilizing methods of L.C. Siebenmann and the k-fold end structures of F. Waldhausen.     

A criterion for generating full matrix algebras

Let M_n(F) be the algebra of n×n matrices over a field F, and let A∈M_n(F) have characteristic polynomial c(x)=p₁(x)p₂(x)?p_r(x) where p₁(x),…,p_r(x) are distinct and irreducible in F[x]. Let X be a subalgebra of M_n(F) containing A. Under a mild hypothesis on the p_i(x), we find a necessary and sufficient condition for X to be M_n(F).     

A non-separable Christensen's theorem and set tri-quotient maps

For every space X let K(X) be the set of all compact subsets of X. Christensen [J.P.R. Christensen, Necessary and sufficient conditions for measurability of certain sets of closed subsets, Math. Ann. 200 (1973) 189-193] proved that if X,Y are separable metrizable spaces and F:K(X)→K(Y) is a monotone map such that any L∈K(Y) is covered by F(K) for some K∈K(X), then Y is complete provided X is complete. It is well known [J. Baars, J. de Groot, J. Pelant, Function spaces of completely metrizable space, Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 340 (1993) 871-879] that this result is not true for non-separable spaces. In this paper we discuss some additional properties of F which guarantee the validity of Christensen's result for more general spaces.     

Selective separability and its variations

A space X is said to be selectively separable (=M-separable) if for each sequence {Dn:n∈ω} of dense subsets of X, there are finite sets Fn⊂Dn (n∈ω) such that ?{Fn:n∈ω} is dense in X. On selective separability and its variations, we show the following: (1) Selective separability, R-separability and GN-separability are preserved under finite unions; (2) Assuming CH (the continuum hypothesis), there is a countable regular maximal R-separable space X such that X² is not selectively separable; (3) c{0,1} has a selectively separable, countable and dense subset S such that the group generated by S is not selectively separable. These answer some questions posed in Bella et al. (2008) [7].