Compactness, connectedness and countability properties of \(C(X)\) with the \(r\)-topology (Q519917)

The authors study some properties of the space \(C_r(X)\) of all continuous real-valued functions on a Tychonoff space \(X\) equipped with the \(r\)-topology, see [\textit{W. Iberkleid} et al., Commentat. Math. Univ. Carol. 52, No. 3, 445--461 (2011; Zbl 1249.54037)], whose base is the collection of all sets of the form \(R(f,r):= \{g\in C(X): | f(x)-g(x)| < r(x), \forall x\in \mathrm{coz}(r)\}\), \(f\in C(X)\), \(r\) is a regular positive element of \(C(X)\), where \(r\in C(X)\) is regular if the set \(\mathrm{coz}(r) = \{x\in X:r(x) \neq 0\}\) is dense in \(X\). This topology is stronger than the classical \(m\)-topology, see \textit{E. Hewitt} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 64, 45--99 (1948; Zbl 0032.28603)]. Connectedness of \(C_r(X)\), the component and quasicomponent of \(0\) are studied. Connectedness, local connectedness and first countability of \(C_r(X)\) coincide and they are equivalent to openness of the component (and the quasicomponent) \(r_{\psi}(X)\) of \(0 \in C(X)\). A few representations of the ideal \(r_{\psi}(X)\) are given. \(C_r(X)\) is never extremally disconnected for \(X\neq \emptyset\). \(C_r(X)\) is totally disconnected if and only if the set of non-almost \(P\)-points of the Stone-Čech compactification \(\beta X\) is dense in \(\beta X\).