Discontinuous separately continuous functions and near coherence of \(P\)-filters (Q2464605)

It is well known that there is a separately continuous \(sp:{\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}\rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) that is discontinuous at precisely the origin. In this note the class of spaces \(X\times Y\) for which there exists a separately continuous function that is discontinuous is studied. It is shown that there is a discontinuous separately continuous real-valued function on \(X\times Y\) for any non-discrete Tychonoff spaces \(X\) and \(Y\) of countable pseudocharacter if and only if any two P-filters are near coherent. \textit{The Near Coherence of P-filters} (NCPF), a weak form of the Blass-Shelah axiom NCF, states: any two P-filters \({\mathcal F}_0\) and \({\mathcal F}_1\) on \(\omega\) are near coherent in the sense that there is a finite-to-one \(h:\omega\rightarrow \omega\) such that \(h(F_0)\cap h(F_1)\) is infinite for any \(F_i\in {\mathcal F}_i\). The authors introduce NCPF, prove the basic implications NCF\(\rightarrow\) NCPF\(\rightarrow {\mathfrak t}\not={\mathfrak d}\), hence NCPF is consistent with and independent of ZFC. One of the main results of the paper is that NCPF is equivalent to each of the following statements \noindent (1) For any Tychonoff spaces \(X\) and \(Y\) with non-isolated \(G_\delta\) points \(a\in X\) and \(b\in Y\) there are continuous real-valued maps \(g\) on \(X\) and \(h\) on \(Y\) and a function \(\psi:{\mathbb R}\times {\mathbb R}\rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) such that the function \(\psi\circ(g\times h):X\times Y\rightarrow {\mathbb R}\) is separately continuous and discontinuous at \((a,b)\) and continuous at all other points of \(X\times Y\). \noindent (2) For any countable spaces \(X\) and \(Y\) with unique non-isolated points, there is a discontinuous separately continuous real-valued function on \(X\times Y\). \noindent (3) For any countable spaces \(X\) and \(Y\) with unique non-isolated points, the product topology on \(X\times Y\) is different from the cross topology on \(X\times Y\) (the cross topology is the largest topology on \(X\times Y\) that coincides with the product topology on all subspaces of the form \(X\times\{y\}\) and \(\{x\}\times Y\)). \noindent In addition, it is shown that assuming NCF the function \(\psi\) from (1) can be taken to be the fixed separately continuous \(sp\) with the unique discontinuity at the origin. Hence, NCF implies that if every separately continuous \(f:X\times Y\rightarrow{\mathbb R}\) is continuous, then either \(X\) or \(Y\) is a P-space. Finally, it is shown that for any non-discrete Tychonoff spaces \(X\) there is a Tychonoff space \(Y\) and a discontinuous separately continuous real-valued function defined on \(X\times Y\). Moreover, \(Y\) may be chosen to be a \(\sigma\)-bounded abelian topological group!