On a problem of Mauldin and Ulam about continuous images (Q906502)

Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be topological spaces. A function \(T:X\to Y\) is a \textit{CI-map} if it satisfies the following condition: for any \(A,B\subset X\) such that \(B\) is a continuous image of \(A\), \(T(B)\) is a continuous image of \(T(A)\). Clearly, continuous functions have the CI-property. \textit{R. D. Mauldin} and \textit{S. M. Ulam} [Adv. Appl. Math. 8, 281--344 (1987; Zbl 0642.00001)] asked whether CI-maps must be continuous. In the paper under review the authors solve this problem by proving the following: if \(T\) is a non-constant CI-map and \(X\) is a non-discrete sequential space, then \(T\) is continuous iff Im\((T)\) is not contrasequential. The paper contains also examples of CI-maps that are not continuous.