Equiconnected spaces and Baire classification of separately continuous functions and their analogs (Q424145)

The authors consider maps of the type \(f:X\times Y\to Z\). In [Adv. Math., Suppl. Stud. 7B, 741--747 (1981; Zbl 0486.28006)], \textit{W. Rudin} proved that if \(X\) is metrizable, \(Y\) an arbitrary space and \(Z\) a locally convex topological vector space and \(f\)~is such that every horizontal section \(x\mapsto f(x,y)\) is continuous and for a dense set of~\(x\) the vertical section \(y\mapsto f(x,y)\) is continuous then \(f\)~is of Baire class~\(1\). The authors generalize this result to more general classes of spaces: \(X\)~can be assumed to have covering properties that mimic the behaviour of \(\sigma\)-locally finite bases and \(Z\) may be assumed to be equiconnected. In addition the result is proved for all Baire classes: if \(y\mapsto f(x,y)\) is of Baire class~\(\alpha\) for a dense set of~\(x\) then \(f\)~is is of Baire class~\(\alpha+1\).