Cardinalities of noncentered systems of subsets of \(\omega\) (Q1201242)

The paper has already been preliminarily published [``Cardinalities of possible noncentered systems of subsets of \(\omega\) which reflect some qualities of ultrafilters, \(p\)-points and rapid filters'', Baku 1987, Int. Topology Conf. Proc., Math. Inst. Aserb. Acad. Sci., Baku, 263-268 (1989)], but was not available to the public. We introduce cardinal characteristics which reflect noncentered versions of properties of ultrafilters, \(p\)-points and rapid filters. Some new characterizations of \(\mathfrak b\) and \(\mathfrak d\) and estimations of characteristics of measure and category are obtained. The problem of the paper whether \({\mathfrak r}={\mathfrak r}_ \sigma\) is included as Problem 336 in ``Open problems in topology'', ed. by \textit{J. van Mill} and \textit{G. M. Reed} (1990; Zbl 0718.54001).