\( \pi \)-spaces and their open images (Q2683758)

A \(\pi\)-space is defined by Souslin schemes as follows: there exists an open Souslin scheme \(\langle V_\alpha\rangle_{\alpha\in{}^{<\omega}\omega}\) on \(X\) that partitions \(X\), has strict branches, and such that the family \(\{V_\alpha: \alpha\in{}^{<\omega}\omega\}\) is a \(\pi\)-base for \(X\). In this paper, the authors prove that being a \(\pi\)-space is equivalent to being the preimage of the Baire space \(\omega^\omega\) under a continuous quasi-open bijection. Thus every second-countable \(\pi\)-space has a Lusin \(\pi\)-base, and every space of a Lusin \(\pi\)-base is a \(\pi\)-space. The main result of this paper is to characterize the continuous open images of \(\pi\)-spaces as follows: Choquet spaces of countable \(\pi\)-weight and of cardinality not greater than that of the continuum.