Distinguished trees, double-trees and lifting theorems (Q1417111)

A mapping \(f:X\rightarrow Y\) is compact covering if for every compact set \(B\subset Y\) there is a compact set \(A\subset X\) such that \(f(A)=B\). \(f\) is inductively perfect if there is a set \(X' \subset X\) such that \(f(X')=f(X)\) and the restriction \(f\restriction X'\) is perfect. Every inductively perfect mapping is compact covering. It is known that inductively perfect mappings preserve Borel classes \(\Sigma^ 0_ \xi\) and \(\Pi^ 0_ \xi\), \(\xi \geq 2\). In 1984, A.V. Ostrovsky conjectured that a compact covering image of a Borel space is also a Borel space. The main result of this paper answers (in \textbf{ZFC}) this conjecture. The proof involves distinguished trees, introduced in this paper, and a game considered by the same authors in [Topology Appl. 68, 153--185 (1996; Zbl 0848.54024)]. Some other applications of distinguished trees and double-trees are also given.