Whitney blocks (Q2400884)

For a metric continuum \(X\), let \(C(X)\) denote the hyperspace of subcontinua of \(X\). A Whitney block in \(C(X)\) (respectively, Whitney level) is a set of the form \(\mu^{-1}([s,t])\), where \(\mu : C(X) \rightarrow [0,1]\) is a Whitney map and \(0 \leq s < t < 1\). (respectively, \(\mu^{-1}(s)\), \(s\in [0,1]\)). A classic topic in the theory of hyperspaces is to study which topological properties are inherited from the continuum \(X\) to its Whitney levels and vice versa (see Chapter VIII of [\textit{A. Illanes} and \textit{S. B. Nadler jun.}, Hyperspaces: fundamentals and recent advances. New York, NY: Marcel Dekker (1999; Zbl 0933.54009)]). In the paper under review, the author develops the respective line of research for Whitney blocks. She considers properties related to local connectedness, connectedness by continua, arcwise connectedness, property of Kelley, contractibility, aposyndesis, unicoherence, etc. A continuum \(X\) is \(n\)-mutually aposyndetic if for all pairwise distinct points \(p_1\),\dots,\(p_n\) there exist pairwise disjoint subcontinua \(M_1\),\dots,\(M_n\) of \(X\) such that for each \(i\), \(p_i\) is in the interior of \(M_i\). A sample of the results included in this paper is the following (Theorem 9.4). THEOREM: If the continuum \(X\) is \(3\)-mutually aposyndetic, then its Whitney levels and its Whitney blocks are \(3\)-mutually aposyndetic. The author asks if this theorem holds for each \(n > 3\) (Question 9.5).