Generation of uniformly closed algebras of functions (Q2490434)

Let \(\mathcal F\) be a linear sublattice of the set \(C(X)\) of all continuous functions on a completely regular space \(X\). Let \(A(\mathcal F)\) denote the smallest uniformly closed and inverse-closed subalgebra of \(C(X)\) that contains \(\mathcal F\). \textit{A.~W.\ Hager} [Proc.\ Lond.\ Math.\ Soc., III.~Ser.\ 19, 233--257 (1969; Zbl 0169.54005)] gave a method of generating \(A(\mathcal F)\) when \(\mathcal F\) is a uniformly closed sublattice of bounded functions; he showed that \(A(\mathcal F)\) is the uniform closure of the set of quotients of functions in \(\mathcal F\). The present paper begins by giving an alternative proof of Hager's result by using a property defined by means of the notion of a 2-finite cover of \(X\). A characterization of the functions belonging to \(A(\mathcal F)\) is given in terms of their Lebesgue sets. Next, the authors consider different families of functions defined in terms of certain suprema or sums of countably many functions in \(\mathcal F\) whose cozero sets are 2-finite covers of \(X\). It is shown that these families coincide and their uniform closure is just \(A(\mathcal F)\). In the case where \(\mathcal F\) is uniformly closed, it is proved that the families coincide with the set of quotients of functions in \(\mathcal F\), thus extending Hager's result to the unbounded case.