Blockers in hyperspaces (Q629724)

The authors introduce the notion of a blocker and study some sets of blockers in hyperspaces of continua. Let \(X\) be a continuum (i.e., a compact connected metric space with more than one point), and let \(2^X\) denote the space of all nonempty closed subsets of \(X\) equipped with the Hausdorff metric. For \(A, B \in 2^X\), \(B\) is called a blocker for \(A\) if for each continuous path \(\alpha : [0,1] \to 2^X\) such that \(\alpha (0) =A\) and \(\alpha (1) =X\), \(\alpha (t)\) meets \(B\) for some \(t <1\). The authors first prove some general properties of blockers. In particular it is proved that \(B\) is not a blocker for \(A\) if and only if \(A \cap B =\emptyset\) and \(\bigcup\{ D \in C(X) : D\cap A \neq \emptyset, D\cap B= \emptyset\}\) is dense in \(X\), where \(C(X)\) is the subspace of \(2^X\) consisting of all subcontinua of \(X\). For a subspace \(\mathcal{H}\) of \(2^X\), let \(\mathcal{B} (\mathcal{H})\) denote the set of all \(B \in 2^X\) which is a blocker for each element of \(\mathcal{H}\). The authors prove theorems on \(\mathcal{B} (\mathcal{H})\) for some subspaces \({\mathcal H}\) of \(2^X\). In particular, they prove the following: (1) \({\mathcal B} (2^X)\) is an \(F_{\sigma \delta}\)-subset of \(2^X\). (2) If \(X\) is a finite graph or a dendrite with closed set of end points, then \({\mathcal B} (2^X)\) is a \(G_\delta\)-subset of \(2^X\). (3) If the set of points of connectedness im kleinen of \(X\) is dense in \(X\), then \({\mathcal B}(C(X))\) is an \(F_\sigma\)-subset of \(2^X\). (4) If \(X\) is a locally connected continuum, then \({\mathcal B} (2^X)\) is a homotopy dense \(AR\) in \(2^X\). (5) If no finite subset separates a locally connected continuum \(X\), then \({\mathcal B}(C(X))\) is a cap-set in \(2^X\). (6) If \(X\) is a Euclidean cube of dimension \(\geq 3\), then \({\mathcal B}(X) \cap C(X)\) is a cap-set in \(C(X)\).