Atoms in the lattice of covering operators in compact Hausdorff spaces (Q2219283)

Given compact Hausdorff spaces \(X\) and \(Y\), a \textit{cover} \(f:Y\rightarrow X\) (denoted \((Y,f)\in\text{cov}\,X\)) is a continuous surjective map which is irreducible (meaning that if \(S\) is a proper closed subset of \(Y\), then \(f(S)\not= X\)). Given two covers \((Y_1,f_1), (Y_2,f_2)\in\text{cov}\,X\), \((Y_1,f_1)\leqslant (Y_2,f_2)\) provided that there exists a continuous map \(f_{21}:Y_2\rightarrow Y_1\) such that \(f_1\circ f_{21}=f_2\) (therefore, \((Y_2,f_{21})\in\text{cov}\, Y_1\)). \((Y_1,f_1)\approx(Y_2,f_2)\) stands for \((Y_1,f_1)\leqslant(Y_2,f_2)\) and \((Y_2,f_2)\leqslant(Y_1,f_1)\). \(\approx\)-equivalent covers are viewed as equal, and \((\text{cov}\,X)/\approx\) is identified with \(\text{cov}\,X\). Lastly, a \textit{minimum proper cover} (\textit{mpc} for short) is a proper cover \((Y,f)\in\text{cov}\,X\) (where proper means that \(f\not=id_X\)) such that for every proper cover \((Z, h)\in\text{cov}\,X\), \((Y,f)\leqslant(Z,h)\). More on covers can be found in, e.g., [\textit{A. W. Hager}, in: Papers on general topology and related category theory and topological algebra. Proceedings of the 2nd and 3rd conferences on limits, New York, NY, USA, July 2--3, 1985 and June 12--13, 1987. New York, NY: New York Academy of Sciences. 44--59 (1989; Zbl 0881.54025)] and [\textit{J. R. Porter} and \textit{R. G. Woods}, Extensions and absolutes of Hausdorff spaces. New York etc.: Springer-Verlag (1988; Zbl 0652.54016)]. The paper considers covers in the category \textbf{Comp} of compact Hausdorff spaces. More precisely, the authors study \textit{covering operators} on \textbf{Comp}, which pick a certain cover \(c_X:cX\rightarrow X\) for every \textbf{Comp}-object \(X\). For example, there exists a covering operator on \textbf{Comp}, picking the identity morphism for every space \(X\) (called the \textit{identity operator}). Every such covering operator \(c\) is a coreflection in the category \textbf{Comp\({}^{\#}\)} of compact Hausdorff spaces as objects and covers as morphisms. The class \textbf{coComp} of covering operators on \textbf{Comp} is a complete lattice with the above-mentioned ordering ``\(\leqslant\)''. The authors then show the following four things: first, they characterize mpc's in terms of extremally disconnected spaces (every open set has an open closure) and maps identifying just two distinct non-isolated points; second, they show that the atoms in the lattice \textbf{coComp} correspond one-to-one with the mpc's; third, they show that every element of \textbf{coComp} different from the identity operator lies above an atom; fourth, they prove that despite the third item, the lattice \textbf{coComp} is not atomic, namely, not every element of \textbf{coComp} is a join of atoms. The paper is well written, provides most of its required preliminaries, and will be of interest to all the researchers studying categorical topology.