Covering an additive function by \(< \mathfrak c\)-many continuous functions (Q655475)

A function \(f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}\) is called additive if \(f(x+y)=f(x)+f(y)\) for all \(x,y\in\mathbb{R}\). The author considers the following question. Suppose that \(f\) can be covered by \(\kappa\)-many continuous functions from \(\mathbb{R}\) to \(\mathbb{R}\). Can \(f\) be covered by \(\kappa\) lines? A function \(f:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{R}\) is: 1. \textit{\(\kappa\)-continuous}, if there is a decomposition \((A_\alpha)_{\alpha<\kappa}\) of \(\mathbb{R}\) such that \(f|_{A_\alpha}\) is continuous for every \(\alpha<\kappa\); 2. \textit{strongly \(\kappa\)-continuous}, if there is a sequence \((f_\alpha)_{\alpha<\kappa}\) of continuous functions from \(\mathbb{R}\) to \(\mathbb{R}\) such that \(f\subset\bigcup_{\alpha<\kappa}f_\alpha\); 3. \textit{linear}, if there are \(a,b\in\mathbb{R}\) such that \(f(x)=ax+b\); 4. \textit{\(\kappa\)-linear}, if there is a sequence \((f_\alpha)_{\alpha<\kappa}\) of linear functions such that \(f\subset\bigcup_{\alpha<\kappa}f_\alpha\). Let \(\mathcal M\) be a family of meager subsets of reals. Let \(\text{add}(\mathcal M)=\min\{|\mathcal D|:\mathcal D\subset\mathcal M \bigcup\mathcal D\notin\mathcal M\}\) and \(\text{cov}(\mathcal M)=\min\{|\mathcal D|:\mathcal D\subset\mathcal M \bigcup\mathcal D=\mathbb{R}\}\). By \(P(\kappa)\) denote the following sentence: \textit{there exists a Hamel basis \(H\) of \(\mathbb{R}\) which is the union of \(\kappa\) compact sets}. The author proved that every additive strongly \(\kappa\)-continuous function \(f\) can be covered by \(\kappa\) lines with the same direction provided \(\kappa<\text{add}(\mathcal M)\). In particular \(f\) is \(\kappa\)-linear. Moreover if \(f\) can be covered by \(\kappa\) lines passing through the point \((0,0)\), then \(f\) is continuous. On the other hand if \(\kappa<\mathfrak{c}\), then \(P(\kappa)\) implies that there exists an additive strongly \(\kappa\)-continuous function which cannot be covered by less than \(\mathfrak{c}\)-many lines. It turns out that \(P(\omega_1)\) is consistent with \(\omega_2=\mathfrak{c}\) and \(P(\kappa)\) implies that \(\text{cov}(\mathcal M)\leq\kappa\). Finally, it is proved that \(\text{cov}(\mathcal M)=\mathfrak{c}\) implies the existence of a function which is \(\kappa\)-continuous for some \(\kappa<\mathfrak{c}\) but is not strongly \(\kappa\)-continuous for any \(\kappa<\mathfrak{c}\). On the other hand if \(\mathfrak{d}=\omega_1<\mathfrak{c}\), then every \(\omega_1\)-continuous function is strongly \(\omega_1\)-continuous.