Strong zero-dimensionality of hyperspaces (Q1957137)

All spaces are assumed to be Tychonoff. For a space \(X\), let \(2^X\) be the collection of all nonempty closed subsets of \(X\) equipped with the Vietoris topology \(\tau_V\). Recall that \(\tau_V\) has a base consisting of all sets \(\langle \mathcal V \rangle\) of the form \(\langle \mathcal V \rangle =\left\{ F \in 2^X: F \subseteq \mathcal V,\;V \cap F \neq \emptyset\;\text{for all }\;V \in \mathcal V \right\},\) where \(\mathcal V\) runs through all finite families of open subsets in \(X\). Let \({\mathcal K}(X)\) be the subspace of \(2^X\), consisting of all nonempty compact subsets of \(X\). Then, \(2^X\) and \({\mathcal K}(X)\) are called hyperspaces of \(X\). All ordinals are considered as topological spaces equipped with the order topology. In the theory of hyperspaces, it is well-known that \(2^X\) is Tychonoff iff \(X\) is normal, and \({\mathcal K}(X)\) is Tychonoff iff \(X\) is Tychonoff. It was observed by \textit{V.~M. Ivanova} in [Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 101, 601--603 (1955; Zbl 0064.16805)] that \(2^\omega\) is not normal, where \(\omega\) is the first infinite ordinal. Further, it was shown by \textit{N. Kemoto} in [Topology Appl. 154, No. 2, 358--363 (2007; Zbl 1116.54006)] that for any non-zero ordinal \(\alpha\), \({\mathcal K}(\alpha)\) is normal iff \(\text{cf}(\alpha)=\alpha\) whenever \(\text{cf}(\alpha)\) is uncountable. In the paper under review, the authors consider strong zero-dimensionality of hyperspaces of ordinals. Here, a space \(X\) is called strongly zero-dimensional if its Stone-Čech compactification \(\beta X\) has a base consisting of clopen sets. The authors show that \(2^\omega\) is strongly zero-dimensional and \({\mathcal K}(\alpha)\) is strongly zero-dimensional for every non-zero ordinal \(\alpha\). The proof of the second claim involves some techniques of elementary submodels.