Madness and weak forms of normality (Q2064768)

Each almost disjoint (\(AD\)) family \(\mathcal{A}\) of infinite subsets of \(\omega\) has a topological space naturally associated with it -- the \(\Psi\)-space or the Mrówka-Isbell space associated to \(\mathcal{A}\) -- denoted by \(\Psi(\mathcal{A})\). The underlying set of \(\Psi(\mathcal{A})\) is \(\omega\cup\mathcal{A}\) with the following topology: The points of \(\omega\) are isolated and for every \(A\in \mathcal{A}\) a basic open neighbourhood is of the form \(\{A\}\cup (A \setminus F)\), where \(F\in [\omega]^{<\omega}\). A set \(D\in [\omega]^{\omega}\) is a \textit{partitioner} for \(\mathcal{A}\) if for every \(A\in\mathcal{A}\) either \(A\subset^* D\) or \(A\cap D\) is finite. An \(AD\) family \(\mathcal{A}\) is \textit{strongly \(\aleph_0\)-separated}, if for every two disjoint countable subfamilies \(\mathcal{B}, \mathcal{C}\subseteq\mathcal{A}\), there is a partitioner \(D\) for \(\mathcal{A}\), such that \(B\subset^* D\) for every \(B\in\mathcal{B} \) and \(C\cap D\) is finite for every \(C\in \mathcal{C}\). A space \(X\) is \textit{almost-normal} (respectively, \textit{partly normal, quasi-normal}) if each pair of disjoint closed sets, one of which is regular closed (respectively, one of which is a finite intersection of regular-closed sets and the other is regular-closed, both of which are a finite intersection of regular closed sets) can be separated by open sets. The main purpose of this paper is to study relationships between these weaker forms of normality in Mrówka-Isbell spaces, but two other weak forms of normality, namely \textit{mildly normal} and \textit{potentially normal} are also mentioned briefly. Among other results, the author shows that the existence of an \(AD\) family whose associated \(\Psi\)-space is almost-normal but not normal does follow from \(CH\), but in contrast, that it is consistent that the space associated with a maximal \(AD\) family is never almost-normal. A partly-normal not quasi-normal \(AD\) family is constructed, thus answering questions of \textit{S. A. Garcia-Balan} and \textit{P. J. Szeptycki} [Fundam. Math. 258, No. 2, 137--151 (2022; Zbl 1502.54008)]. The final result is the construction under \(CH\) of a strongly \(\aleph_0\)-separated \(AD\)-family which is not almost-normal, answering a question of \textit{V. de Oliveira Rodrigues} and \textit{V. dos Santos Ronchim} [Topology Appl. 288, Article ID 107470, 14 p. (2021; Zbl 1459.54015)].