On cardinal invariants and metrizability of topological inverse semigroups (Q1873288)

The paper continues an article of \textit{T. Banakh} [ibid. 128, No. 1, 13-48 (2003; see the preceding review Zbl 1029.20031)]. We recall that an inverse semigroup is called a topological inverse semigroup if it is endowed with a topology such that the binary operation and the unary operation (of inverse element) are continuous. The cardinal invariants for topological inverse semigroups are investigated. Different characterizations of metrizable inverse semigroups are proven. Hence several sufficient conditions are derived for a compact topological inverse semigroup \(S\) such that the maximal subsemilattice of \(S\) and all maximal subgroups of \(S\) are metrizable, to be metrizable. Thus the statement `a compact topological inverse semigroup \(S\) is metrizable whenever the maximal subsemilattice of \(S\) and all maximal subgroups of \(S\) are metrizable' is independent of ZFC.