On the coset ring and strong Ditkin sets (Q2537247)

The coset ring, \(\mathcal R(G)\), of an abelian group \(G\) is the smallest Boolean algebra of subsets of \(G\) containing the cosets of all subgroups of \(G\). If \(\varphi\colon G\to H\) is a homomorphism and \(A\in\mathcal R(G)\), then it is shown that \(\varphi(A)\in\mathcal R(H)\). This result is then used (1) to prove that the closure of a set in the coset ring of an abelian topological group \(G\) is also in \(\mathcal R(G)\), and (2) to give a complete description of the closed sets in \(\mathcal R(G)\) for such \(G\). Using different methods (1) and (2) were proved for the case \(G = \mathbb R\) by \textit{H. P. Rosenthal} [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 63, 84 p. (1966; Zbl 0203.43903)] and for arbitrary \(G\) by \textit{J. H. Gilbert} [Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 19, 69--88 (1969; Zbl 0176.11603)]. For a locally compact, metrizable, separable, abelian group \(G\) it is shown via (2) that (3) every closed set in \(\mathcal R(G)\) is a strong Ditkin set, in the sense of \textit{I. Wik} [Ark. Mat. 6, 55--64 (1965; Zbl 0144.17102)]. This result was also obtained by \textit{J. E. Gilbert} using different methods [ibid. 7, 571--575 (1969; Zbl 0174.19101)]. It follows from (3) and a result of \textit{H. P. Rosenthal} [ibid. 7, 185--191 (1967; Zbl 0172.18303] that, for certain choices of \(G\), a closed, nowhere-dense subset of \(G\) is a strong Ditkin set if and only if it is in \(\mathcal R(G)\).