On the property (db) for continuous function spaces (Q1292737)

This paper answers a question in the literature concerning the space \(C_k(X)\) of continuous real-valued functions under the compact-open topology. In particular, it shows that \(C_k(X)\) is Baire-like if and only if it has property (db); that is, whenever \(C_k(X)\) is written as an increasing union of linear subspaces \(E_n\), some \(E_n\) must be dense and barrelled. The main theorem shows that \(C(X)\) with the topology of uniform convergence on a system \(\gamma\) of compact sets has property (db) if and only if bounded subsets of \(X\) are contained in members of \(\gamma\) and for each decreasing sequence of unbounded subsets \(B_n\) of \(X\) there is an \(f\) in \(C(X)\) that is unbounded on every \(B_n\). Generalizations are given for \(C(X)\) with the topology of bounded convergence.