On the set function \(\mathcal R\) (Q2384410)

For each continuum (compact, connected metric space) \(X\), \(2^X\) will denote the hyperspace of closed nonempty subsets of \(X\) given the topology induced by the Hausdorff metric. In 1981, \textit{D. Bellamy} and \textit{L. Lum} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 266, 389--396 (1981; Zbl 0474.54024)] defined a function \(\mathcal R:2^X\to 2^X\) which they used to study arcwise connected homogeneous continua. In this paper, the authors will apply \(\mathcal R\) when \(X\) is just arcwise connected. For each \(A\in 2^X\), define \(\mathcal N(A)=\{U\subset X \mid U\) is arcwise connected and \(A\subset\text{Int}_X(U)\}\). If \(X\) is arcwise connected, put \(\mathcal R(A)=\bigcap\{\text{Cl}_X(U) | U\in\mathcal N(A)\}\). Hence \(\mathcal R:2^X\to 2^X\) is a function. One says that \(X\) is \(\mathcal R\)-additive if for every \(\Lambda\subset 2^X\) such that \(\bigcup\Lambda\in 2^X\), \(\mathcal R(\bigcup\Lambda)=\bigcup\{\mathcal R(L) | L\in\Lambda\}\). Other notions such as \(X\) being \(\mathcal R\)-symmetric or point \(\mathcal R\)-symmetric are also defined. In Section 3, the authors give examples showing properties that \(\mathcal R\) can have. Section 4 involves development of some properties of \(\mathcal R\), and it is shown that an arcwise connected continuum \(X\) is colocally arcwise connected if and only if \(\mathcal R\) is the identity map on \(2^X\). Other results are obtained as well. In Section 5 they apply \(\mathcal R\) to cyclically connected continua \(X\) and prove that \(\mathcal R(A)=\bigcup\{\mathcal R(\{a\}) \mid a\in A\}\) for any \(A\in 2^X\). In Section 6, the authors deal with arcwise connected continua for which \(\mathcal R\) is continuous.