Quasi \(M\)-compact spaces (Q4396136)

All spaces are Tychonoff, and \(\alpha\) is an infinite cardinal number. Recall that a space \(X\) is said to be initially \(\alpha\)-compact if every open cover of \(X\) of cardinality \(\leq\alpha\) has a finite subcover, and given a subset \(\emptyset\neq M\subseteq\alpha^*= \beta(\alpha)\smallsetminus\alpha\), a space \(X\) is \(M\)-compact (quasi \(M\)-compact) if for every continuous map \(f:\alpha\to X\), the continuous extension \(\overline f:\beta(\alpha)\to\beta(X) \) satisfies \(\overline f(p)\in X \) for every (for some) \(p\in M\). For a uniform ultrafilter \(p\) on \(\alpha\), ``\(\{p\}\)-compact'' is written ``\(p\)-compact.'' The focus of this article is on such compactness conditions, their preservation by products, the Rudin-Keisler pre-order on \(\alpha^*\) (defined by \(p\leq_{RK}q\) if there exists \(\sigma:\alpha\to\alpha\) such that \(\overline{\sigma}(q)=p\) for \(p, q\in\alpha^*\)), the Comfort pre-order on \(\omega^*\) (\(p\leq_c q\) if every \(q\)-compact space is \(p\)-compact), and relationships among these concepts. The author especially considers the class \(\mathfrak G_\alpha\) of all spaces \(X\) such that for every initially \(\alpha\)-compact space \(Y\), \(X\times Y\) is initially \(\alpha\)-compact, and \({\mathcal A}(\alpha)=\{K:K\subseteq\alpha^*\) and \(\alpha\cup K\) is initially \(\alpha\)-compact\(\}\). The class \(\mathfrak G_\omega\) was introduced and studied by \textit{Z. Frolík} [in: Czechosl. J. Math. 10(85), 329-338 (1960; Zbl 0099.38502)], and it was also studied later by the author [see \textit{J. E. Vaughan}, Handbook of set-theoretic topology, 569-602 (1984; Zbl 0562.54031)]. A main result of the author is a proof that for a space \(X\), the following are equivalent: \(X\in\mathfrak G_\alpha\); \(X\times (\alpha\cup K)\) is initially \(\alpha\)-compact for each \(K\in{\mathcal A}(\alpha)\); and for a certain collection \(\mathcal M\) of subsets of \(\alpha^*\) (whose definition is a little technical), \(X\) is quasi-\(M\)-compact for every \(M\in{\mathcal M}\). He also obtains some necessary and sufficient conditions that \(\beta_M(X)\in\mathfrak G_\alpha\), where given a space \(X\) and \(\emptyset\neq M\subset\alpha^*\), \(\beta_M(X)\) denotes \(\bigcap\{Y:X\subseteq Y\subseteq\beta(X)\) and \(Y\) is \(M\)-compact\(\}\). A proof is given that if \(\beta_M(\omega)\in\mathfrak G_\omega\) then \(\beta_M(\omega)=\beta(\omega)\). In the last two sections of the article the author studies quasi \(P_{RK}(M)\)-compact spaces (\(P_{RK}(M)=\{q\in\alpha^*\)\(:\exists p\in M(q\leq_{RK}p)\}\)) and Comfort types. A number of product theorems and characterizations are presented. Several examples are given showing ways in which the preceding cannot be strengthened, and some open questions are raised.