The Katowice problem and autohomeomorphisms of \(\omega_0^\ast\) (Q330070)

Let \(\kappa\) and \(\lambda\) be infinite cardinals, both endowed with the discrete topology, and let \(\kappa^*\) and \(\lambda^*\) be their Čech-Stone remainders. The \textit{Katowice Problem} asks: if the remainders \(\kappa^*\) and \(\lambda^*\) are homeomorphic, must \(\kappa\) and \(\lambda\) be equal ? It was shown by Balcar and Frankiewicz (see [\textit{B. Balcar} and \textit{R. Frankiewicz}, Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci., Sér. Sci. Math. Astron. Phys. 26, 521--523 (1978; Zbl 0397.54010)] and [\textit{R. Frankiewicz}, Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci., Sér. Sci. Math. Astron. Phys. 25, 891--893 (1977; Zbl 0372.54003)]) that the answer is yes for almost all cases: if \(\langle \kappa, \lambda \rangle \neq \langle \aleph_0, \aleph_1 \rangle\) and \(\kappa < \lambda\), the remainders \(\kappa^*\) and \(\lambda^*\) are not homeomorphic. So, for a full positive answer to the Katowice Problem one should ask: is it consistent that \(\omega_0^*\) and \(\omega_1^*\) are homeomorphic? Of course, the same question could be stated in an algebraic fashion: is it consistent that the Boolean algebras \(\mathcal{P}(\omega_0)/\mathrm{fin}\) and \(\mathcal{P}(\omega_1)/\mathrm{fin}\) are isomorphic? Several consequences of ``\(\omega_0^*\) and \(\omega_1^*\) are homeomorphic''\, were established in the literature over the years (for instance, \(2^{\aleph_0} = 2^{\aleph_1}\) and \(\mathfrak{d} = \aleph_1\)), in the hope that their conjunction would imply some contradiction and thus yield a full positive answer to the Katowice problem. In the paper under review the authors provide another consequence. It is shown that if \(\omega_0^*\) and \(\omega_1^*\) are homeomorphic then there is a non-trivial (that is, not induced by any bijection \(f: \omega \to \omega\)) autohomeomorphism of \(\omega_0^*\). This also answers positively a question posed by Nyikos (Problem 441 in [\textit{E. Pearl} (ed.) [Open problems in topology. II. Amsterdam: Elsevier (2007; Zbl 1158.54300)]).