Strongly \(\tau\)-pseudocompact spaces (Q1295202)

All hypothesized spaces are Tychonoff, and \(\tau\) is an infinite cardinal number. The author introduces the concept of a strongly \(\tau\)-pseudocompact space, studies its relation to initial \(\tau\)-compactness, and extends results of [\textit{J. F. Kennison}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 104, 436-442 (1962; Zbl 0111.35004)] and others. A space \(X\) is called \(\tau\)-pseudocompact (strongly \(\tau\)-pseudocompact) if for every continuous mapping \(f\) of \(X\) into \(\mathbb R^\tau\), \(f(X)\) is a compact subset of \(\mathbb R^\tau\) (\(f(A)\) is a closed subset of \(\mathbb R^\tau\) for every closed subset \(A\) of \(X\)); or initially \(\tau\)-compact if every open cover of \(X\) of cardinality \(\leq\tau\) has a finite subcover. It can be shown that each of these properties implies the preceding one. As \(\tau\) becomes larger, \(\tau\)-pseudocompactness becomes stronger and stronger, and \(\omega\)-pseudocompactness is the same as pseudocompactness. Using the result of Kennison that every closed subspace of a normal \(\tau\)-pseudocompact space is \(\tau\)-pseudocompact, the author shows that every normal \(\tau\)-pseudocompact space is strongly \(\tau\)-pseudocompact, and using a result of V. V. Tkachuk, he notes that every strongly \(\tau\)-pseudocompact space is countably compact. Some of the author's results are the following. If \(X\) is strongly \(2^\tau\)-pseudocompact, then \(X\) is initially \(\tau^+\)-compact. Under GCH, \(X\) is strongly \(\tau\)-pseudocompact if and only if it is initially \(\tau\)-compact. If \(X\) is any strongly \(2^\tau\)-pseudocompact space whose tightness \(t(X)\leq\tau\), then \(X\) is compact. If \(X\) is strongly \(\tau^+\)-pseudocompact, then \(t(X)\leq\tau\) if and only if \(t(\beta(X))\leq\tau\). If \(f\) is a continuous one-to-one mapping of a \(\tau\)-pseudocompact space \(X\) onto a subspace \(Z\) of \(\mathbb R^\tau\), then \(f\) is a homeomorphism. Every \(\omega_1\)-pseudocompact topological group \(G\) of countable tightness is metrizable (and is, therefore, compact). For every noncompact \(\tau\)-pseudocompact topological group \(G\), where \(\tau\) is a regular cardinal, there exists an open continuous homomorphism \(f\) of \(G\) onto a compact topological group \(H\) such that \(w(H)=\tau\). Every continuous homomorphism \(f\) of a \(\tau\)-pseudocompact topological group \(G\) onto a topological group \(H\) whose weight is not greater than \(\tau\) is open. A result of \textit{Norman Noble} [Czech. Math. J. 19(94), 390-397 (1969; Zbl 0184.47706)] is generalized to: For any cardinal number \(\tau\), every space is homeomorphic to a closed \(C^*\)-embedded subspace of a \(\tau\)-pseudocompact space. The author poses a large number of interesting questions about these concepts.