Locally compact, \( \omega_1\)-compact spaces (Q6073902)

Let \(X\) be a topological Hausdorff space. The space \(X\) is \(\omega_1\)-compact if every closed discrete subspace of \(X\) is countable. The space \(X\) is \(\sigma\)-countably compact if \(X\) is expressible as a countable union of some of its countably compact subspaces. In this article, it is clarified that the statement ``Every locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact Hausdorff space of size \(\leq\aleph_1\) is \(\sigma\)-countably compact'' is independent of ZFC. Consistent examples of Hausdorff, locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact spaces of size \(\aleph_1\) which fail to be \(\sigma\)-countably compact are given. For instance, it is shown that every Souslin tree with the interval topology is a Hausdorff, locally compact, locally countable, \(\omega_1\)-compact and hereditarily collectionwise normal (so also hereditarily normal) space of size \(\aleph_1\) which is not \(\sigma\)-countably compact. In ZFC, \(\clubsuit\) implies that there is a topology \(\tau\) on \(\omega_1\), finer than the usual order topology and such that the \(\tau\)-relative topology on the set of all countable limit ordinals is the usual order topology, \((\omega_1, \tau)\) is a locally compact, monotonically normal, \(\omega_1\)-compact space which is not \(\sigma\)-countably compact. On the other hand, among other relevant results, the authors show that, in ZFC, the conjunction of the \(P\)-Ideal Dichotomy Axiom (in abbreviation, PID) and \(\mathfrak{b}>\aleph_1\) implies that every Hausdorff, locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact, normal space of size \(\aleph_1\) is \(\sigma\)-countably compact. Furthermore, the conjunction of PID and \(\min\{\mathfrak{b}, \mathfrak{s}\}>\aleph_1\) implies that every Hausdorff, locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact space of weight \(\aleph_1\) is \(\sigma\)-countably compact. In ZFC, PID implies that every Hausdorff, locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact normal space of size \(<\mathfrak{b}\) is countably paracompact. Suppose that \(X\) is a Hausdorff, locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact space in a model \(\mathcal{M}\) of ZFC. The authors prove that each of the following conditions \((i)\)-\((iii)\) implies that it is true in \(\mathcal{M}\) that \(X\) is \(\sigma\)-\(\omega\)-bounded (so also \(\sigma\)-countably compact) and is either Lindelöf or contains a copy of \(\omega_1\): \((i)\) \(X\) is monotonically normal and PID is true in \(\mathcal{M}\); \((ii)\) \(X\) is hereditarily \(\omega_1\)-strongly collectionwise Hausdorff and either the Proper Forcing Axiom (in abbreviation, PFA) is true in \(\mathcal{M}\) or \(\mathcal{M}\) is a PFA\((S)[S]\) model; \((iii)\) \(X\) is hereditarily normal in \(\mathcal{M}\) or \(\mathcal{M}\) is an \(MM(S)[S]\) model. Moreover, the authors deduce that it is true in \(\mathcal{M}\) that if the space \(X\) is normal, hereditarily \(\omega_1\)-strongly collectionwise Hausdorff and either PFA holds in \(\mathcal{M}\) or \(\mathcal{M}\) is a PFA\((S)[S]\) model, then \(X\) is countably paracompact. It is explained that, in every \(MM(S)[S]\) model, the following statements are both true: (a) every Hausdorff, locally compact Dowker space of cardinality \(\leq\aleph_1\) includes both a copy of \(\omega_1\) and an uncountable closed discrete subspace; (b) every Hausdorff, locally compact, hereditarily normal Dowker space contains an uncountable closed discrete subspace. The authors discuss the least cardinality among the cardinalities of Hausdorff, locally compact, \(\omega_1\)-compact spaces which fail to be \(\sigma\)-countably compact. It is announced that there does exist a consistent example (constructed under \(\square_{\aleph_1}\) by the first author) of a Hausdorff, locally countable, normal, \(\omega\)-bounded (hence countably compact) space of cardinality \(\aleph_2\). Apart from other questions, all relevant to the above-mentioned main results of the paper, the following open problem is posed: Is there a Hausdorff, normal, locally countable, countably compact space of cardinality greater than \(\aleph_2\)? Finally, the authors show that PFA implies that if a Hausdorff, locally compact, locally countable space \(X\) is a quasi-perfect preimage of the space of irrationals, then \(X\) is not normal. The authors ask if there is a ZFC example of a scattered, countably compact, \(T_3\)-space that can be mapped continuously onto \([0, 1]\).