An \(\alpha\)-disconnected space has no proper monic preimage (Q810914)

The authors call a continuous map \(f:X\to Y\) of compact Hausdorff spaces an \(\alpha\)-SpFi morphism (with \(\alpha\) an uncountable cardinal, or \(\alpha =\infty)\) if \(f^{-1}(G)\) is dense in X for every dense \(\alpha\)-cozero set in Y. Among the compact Hausdorff spaces, \(\alpha\)- disconnected spaces X are characterized, as follows: every monomorphism into X of the category \(\alpha\)-SpFi is one-to-one. Furthermore, a complete characterization of \(\infty\)-SpFi monomorphism is given by the authors; their result was independently obtained by \textit{R. G. Woods} [Proceedings CCNY Conference on Limits 1987, Annals of New York Academy of Sciences]. Applications to Boolean algebras are also provided.