Pointwise convergence of partial functions: the Gerlits-Nagy problem

DOI10.1016/J.AIM.2012.09.017MaRDI QIDQ1929199zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors Tal Orenshtein, Boaz Tsaban

Publication date 7 January 2013

Published in Advances in Mathematics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/1112.2373

zbMATH Keywords

Baire class 1 functionsBorel coverscovering propertiesFréchet-Urysohn spacesGerlits-Nagy problempointwise convergenceselection principlessequential closure

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Applications of set theory (03E75) Convergence in general topology (sequences, filters, limits, convergence spaces, nets, etc.) (54A20) Function spaces in general topology (54C35)

Abstract: For a set $XsbstR$, let $B(X)sbst{R}^X$ denote the space of Borel real-valued functions on $X$, with the topology inherited from the Tychonoff product $R^X$. Assume that for each countable $AsbstB(X)$, each $f$ in the closure of $A$ is in the closure of $A$ under pointwise limits of sequences of partial functions. We show that in this case, $B(X)$ is countably Fr'echet--Urysohn, that is, each point in the closure of a countable set is a limit of a sequence of elements of that set. This solves a problem of Arnold Miller. The continuous version of this problem is equivalent to a notorious open problem of Gerlits and Nagy. Answering a question of Salvador Herna'ndez, we show that the same result holds for the space of all Baire class 1 functions on $X$. We conjecture that, in the general context, the answer to the continuous version of this problem is negative, but we identify a nontrivial context where the problem has a positive solution. The proofs establish new local-to-global correspondences, and use methods of infinite-combinatorial topology, including a new fusion result of Francis Jordan.

Review text

\textit{J. Gerlits} and \textit{Zs. Nagy} [Topology Appl. 14, 151--161 (1982; Zbl 0503.54020)] described several convergence properties of the ring of continuous functions \(C(X)\) defined on a topological space \(X\) (e.g. the Fréchet-Urysohn property) in terms of covering properties of \(X\). There, using another terminology, the following problem was proposed: Assume that, for \(A\subseteq C(X)\), each \(f\in \overline A\) belongs to the closure of \(A\) under partial limits of sequences. Does it follow that, for each \(A\subseteq C(X)\), each \(f\in \overline A\) is a limit of a sequence of elements of \(A\)? In a subsequent paper \textit{A. W. Miller} [Real Anal. Exch. 29 (2003-2004), No. 2, 601--606 (2004; Zbl 1069.03047)] posed a variant of the Gerlits-Nagy problem dealing with Borel functions. In order to show fresh light to the questions mentioned above, the authors develop, in this interesting paper, new local-to-global correspondences and use methods of infinite-combinatorial topology, including a new fusion result of \textit{F. Jordan} [Topology Appl. 155, No. 16, 1786--1791 (2008; Zbl 1160.54013)]. Their main result is a complete solution to Miller's problem for Borel functions. They also prove a variant of this result for Baire class 1 functions, answering thereby an oral question by the reviewer. Finally, they establish several results concerning the original Gerlits-Nagy question and pose some related open problems.

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Cited in

(8)

• Application of selection principles in the study of the properties of function spaces
• Convergence of partial maps
• Representation of group isomorphisms: the compact case
• Strongly sequentially separable function spaces, via selection principles
• Ideal approach to convergence in functional spaces
• A solution of a finitely dimensional Harrington problem for Cantor set
• Function spaces and the Gerlits-Nagy -property
• Omission of intervals: deducing covering properties of subsets of the real line from their combinatorial structure

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