Between countably compact and \(\omega\)-bounded (Q890069)

Let \(P \) be a property of subspaces of a space \(X\). In this paper the authors define a space \(X\) to be ``\(P\)-bounded'' provided every subspace of \(X\) with property \(P\) has compact closure. If \(P\) is the property ``countable cardinality'' then \(P\)-bounded is the well known property \(\omega\)-bounded. The authors concentrate on three properties. (1) \(P\equiv\) ``countable discrete'' (for short \(\omega D\)-bounded), (2) \(P\equiv\) ``countable nowhere dense'' (for short \(\omega N\)-bounded), and (3) \(P\equiv\) ``second countable'' (for short \(C_2\)-bounded). Among these and related properties, \(\omega\)-bounded implies \(\omega N\)-bounded and \(C_2\)-bounded, each of which implies \(\omega D\)-bounded (assuming \(X\) has no isolated points), and \(\omega D\)-bounded implies totally countably compact (assuming \(X\) is Hausdorff) which implies countably compact. A space is called totally countably compact provided every infinite subset of \(X\) has an infinite subset with compact closure. The authors give examples to show that all these properties are distinct, and they prove some interesting theorems. For instance they prove: If \(\mathfrak b>\omega_1\), then every countably tight and regular space that is \(\omega D\)-bounded is also \(\omega\)-bounded; the product of a countably compact space and an \(\omega D\)-bounded space is countably compact; and any product of fewer than \(\mathfrak t\) many \(\omega D\)-bounded spaces is totally countably compact. It is an open problem whether the product of \(\mathfrak t\) many \(\omega D\)-bounded spaces is totally countably compact. Basic information about totally countably compact, \(\omega\)-bounded and related spaces can be found in the reviewer's article [in: Handbook of set-theoretic topology, 569--602 (1984; Zbl 0562.54031)], and basic information about small uncountable cardinals such as \(\mathfrak b\) and \(\mathfrak t\), can be found the article by \textit{E. K. van Douwen} [in: Handbook of set-theoretic topology, 111--167 (1984; Zbl 0561.54004)].