Minima nonblockers and blocked sets of a continuum (Q6049945)

If \(X\) is a metric continuum, \(2^X\) denotes its hyperspace of closed nonempty subsets, endowed with the usual Hausdorff metric. It is well known that if \(B\in 2^X\setminus\{X\}\), then there is an order arc \(\alpha: [0,1]\to 2^X\) joining \(B\) to \(X\); and if \(B\) is also a subcontinuum then so is every \(\alpha(t)\). A set \(A\in 2^X\) \textit{blocks} \(b\in X\) if for every order arc \(\alpha\) joining \(\{b\}\) to \(X\), there is some \(t<1\) such that \(\alpha(t)\cap A\neq\emptyset\). For \(a\in X\), \(B(a)\) is the set \textit{blocked by} \(a\), namely \(\{x\in X\mid \{a\}\mbox{ blocks }x\}\). The set \(A\in 2^X\setminus\{X\}\) is a \textit{nonblocker} if \(A\) does not block any \(b\in X\setminus A\). Every nonblocker \(A\) is a \textit{shore set}; i.e., there are subcontinua of \(X\) that are disjoint from \(A\) and arbitrarily Hausdorff-close to \(X\). A point \(a\in X\) is a \textit{shore point} if \(\{a\}\) is a shore set. For any \(a\in X\), it is known that the intersection of all nonblockers containing \(a\) is either \(X\) itself or a nonblocker. It is also a subcontinuum of \(X\), denoted \(\pi(a)\), and is the \textit{minimum nonblocker} containing \(a\). Clearly \(a\in B(a)\subseteq \pi(a)\), and much of the present paper is devoted to the question of when equality holds. The main results are as follows. \begin{itemize} \item[(1)] Each \(B(a)\) is a connected subset of a continuum \(X\), and \(B(a)=\pi(a)\) if and only if \(B(a)\) is closed. \item[(2)] \(B(a)\) need not be closed; it also need not be dense in \(\pi(a)\). \item[(3)] If \(X\) is a continuum with the property of Kelley, then \(B(a)=\pi(a)\) for any \(a\in X\) such that \(B(a)\) is not dense in \(X\). \item[(4)] (Corollary of (3)) If \(X\) is a homogeneous continuum that contains at least one nonblocker, then \(B(a)=\pi(a)\) for all \(a\in X\). \item[(5)] A proper subcontinuum of a dendroid is a nonblocker if and only if it has empty interior and its complement is arc-connected. \item[(6)] If a dendroid has at least one non-shore point, then every connected nonblocker is a minimum nonblocker. \end{itemize}