Function spaces over GO-spaces. I. (Q869679)

The author describes the structure of spaces of continuous step functions over GO-spaces (that is, generalized ordered spaces). A relationship is established between the Dedekind completion of a GO-space \(L\) and properties of the space of continuous functions from \(L\) to the space \(2\) with finitely many steps. The result is used to prove that a countably compact GO-space \(L\) has Lindelöf \({\mathcal C}_p(L)\) if and only if the Dedekind remainder of \(L\) is Lindelöf and every compact subspace of \(L\) is metrizable. Equivalently, a countably compact GO-space \(L\) has Lindelöf \({\mathcal C}_p(L)\) if and only if every compact subspace of \(L\) is metrizable and a \(G_\delta\)-set in \(L.\) The paper ends with a number of questions, for instance the following one: Let \(X\) be a first-countable compactum with Lindelöf \([{\mathcal C}_p(X,2)]^n\) for each \(n.\) Is \([{\mathcal C}_p(X,2)]^\omega\) Lindelöf?