proceedings of the

american mathematical society

Volume 110, Number 2, October 1990

THE PRODUCT OF A LINDELÖF SPACE

WITH THE SPACE OF IRRATIONALS
UNDER MARTIN'S AXIOM

K. ALSTER

(Communicated by Dennis Burke)

Abstract. In this paper, we give an example of a Lindelöf space whose product

with the space of irrationals is not Lindelöf provided that Martin's axiom holds.
Our result is an improvement of a Michael's construction using the Continuum
Hypothesis.

In 1971, E. Michael constructed a Lindelöf space whose product with the

space of irrationals is not Lindelöf provided that the Continuum Hypothesis
holds. We have improved Michael's result by showing that the Continuum
Hypothesis can be relaxed to Martin's axiom (MA). For a related result, see
[BD]. Some positive results are presented. Finally, we formulate certain set-
theoretical statements that ensure the existence of our example.
The topological terminology follows [E], and we have adopted set-theoretical
terminology from [K]. In our paper, TV stands for the set of natural numbers
and P for the space of irrational numbers. The irrational numbers will be
viewed as sequences of natural numbers. The symbol c will denote the initial
ordinal number of the cardinality continuum. Other ordinal numbers will be
denoted by Greek letters; in particular, w will stand for the first infinite ordinal
number and to, for the first uncountable ordinal number. If x = (x(n))™=x and
y — (y(n))\*L\ are irrational numbers, we say that x <t y(x <t y) if there is
m e N such that x(j) < y(j) (x(j) < y(j)) for m < j.
S C P is called an a-scale if and only if S = {x„: ß < a} , where x„ <„ x„
whenever ßx < ß2 < a, and if x e P, then there is ß < a so that x <%x„.
The symbol cf(a) will stand for the cofinality of a. If xn e P, then Xa
will be defined byJ Xa = {x
<-
e P: x <
—*
xaJ } .
Example (MA). There is a Lindelöf space X such that the Cartesian product XxP
is not Lindelöf.
Construction. MA implies that there is a c-scale 5 = {xa: a < c} in P,
see [K], exercise 8, p. 87. Let (Y, d) be a metric compactification of P. The
Received by the editors May 8, 1989.
1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Revision). Primary 54B10, 54D20; Secondary
03E50.
©1990 American Mathematical Society
0002-9939/90 $1.00+ $.25 per page

543

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 544 K. ALSTER

space X as a set is equal to Y. To simplify notation, we shall denote X by

Xc. If a < c and x € Xa\({J{X„: ß < a}), the base at x consists of all sets
of the form (Xa n U)\X„, where x e U , U is open in (Y, d), and ß < a .

Lemma 1(MA). If X'a — Xa\\J{X„: ß < a} and U is open in X containing

X'a, there is a sequence (y,)°!, in a such that Xa\U c \J°1XXy .

Proof. If cf(a) = w it is trivial, so let us assume that w < cf(a). Because

X'a is Lindelöf, it is actually a metric, separable subspace of ( Y, d), since
w < cf(a), we can assume without loss of generality that there is an open set
77 in (Y, d) and ßx < a so that U = (H(lXa)\Xß . If a = c, Xc\H is a
compact subset of P . Hence, there is y = (y(n))™=x so that
Arc\77c {x e P: x(n) < y(n) for neN} = K.
Since S = {x„: ß < c} is a c-scale, there is ß2 < c such that y <# x„ , which
implies that K c X„ and consequently XC\U c X„ UX„ .
Let us assume that a < c. Observe that X is rj-compact with respect to
the topology of P for y < c ; therefore, X = U{^j,("): « € TV}, where Af^zz)
is compact in P. Then:
Xc\H c IM: y<*} = \J{Xy(m): meNandy<a}
and
Dn = Xa(n)\H = U{(A»\77) n Xy(m): y<a and me N}
for zz e N. As Dn is a compact subspace of P, which is a union of less
than continuum compact subsets, the conclusion of Lemma 1 will follow from
Lemma 2.
Lemma 2 (MA). If Z is a compact metric space in which Z = {J{Z : y < ß},
where ß < c and Z is compact for y < ß, then there is a sequence (y,)%x in
ß so that [j{Zy: i e TV}= Z .
Proof. Suppose that this is not the case. MA implies that
770= |J{IntzZ7:7</7}
is not empty; otherwise, Z would be a union of less than continuum, closed,
nowhere-dense subsets. Since Z is a hereditarily Lindelöf space, there is a
countable subset 7"(770) of ß so that 770c \J{Z : y e T(H0)} . Let us assume
that for every y less than ô where ô is a countable ordinal number, we have de-
fined an open subset 77 of Z and a countable subset T(H) of ß so that H c
U{Z/: / e T(Hy)} and Hy\({J{Hy,:y' < y}) ¿0. Put H = {J{Hy:y < 0}
and A = Z\H. A is not empty; otherwise, the conclusion of Lemma 2
holds. Put 77¿ = \J{lntA(Z \H): y < ß}. MA implies that 77^ is not empty.
Because H's is Lindelöf, there is a countable subset T(H'S) of ß so that
H's = \J{lntA(Zy\H): y e T(Hy)}. Put Hs = H'suH. Because the complement

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 PRODUCT OF A LINDELÖF SPACE 545

of Hô is closed, we infer that Hs is open. PutT(Hs)= T(H'â)u(J{T(Hy): y < 0} ;

then 77,5c \J{Zy: y e T(HS)} and 0 ¿ H's = Hô\\J{Hy: y < S}. By the con-
struction, {77 : y < wx} is a strictly increasing sequence of open sets in a
separable metric space, and thus is a contradiction.
Lemma 3(MA). XQ is a Lindelöf space for every a <c.
Proof. Observe that X0 is metric and separable. Let us assume that Xa is
Lindelöf for a < ß . Let % - {Us: s e S} be an open cover of XB. Because X'g
is Lindelöf, there is a countable set S' in S so that X'Bc \J{US: s eS'} = U .
By Lemma 1, there is (y¡)°tx in ß so that Xß\U c \J{Xy.: » e N} ■ BY
the inductive assumption, there is a countable subset S(, of S, so that X =
{J{X7inUs: se SA for i e TV.Therefore, A^ = \J{Us: s e \J{StÙSf: i e TV}}.
Lemma 4. The product X x P is not Lindelöf.
Proof. As K = {(p, p): p e P} is a closed subset of X x P and the family
{K n (Xa x P): a < c} is a cover of K without countable subcover, we infer
that X x P is not Lindelöf.
Let (S) be the following statement: For every compact subset Z of P, and
for every strictly increasing sequence {x : y < a} with respect to <, in Z
where w < cf(a), there is x e Z so that x <„ x for y < a .
I was not able to prove or disprove (S). Still, it is possible to demonstrate
the following proposition.
Proposition. If (S) holds, there is a Lindelöf space X in which the product XxP
is not Lindelöf.
Proof. Let (Y, d) be a metric compactification of P. There is an uncountable,
strictly increasing, and unbounded sequence (xa)a<m in P with respect to <t.
Put C,, = Y\P and C = {x e P: x < x and X, < x for y < a} for a <
a>„. Observe that Ca r¡Ca = 0 whenever ax ^ a2. Put AÍ = \J{Ca: a < w„} .
If a < wß and x e Ca, then the base at x consists of the sets containing x
of the form
U = Hn({J{Cy: yx<y<a}) ,
where 77 is open in ( Y, d) and y, < a. Since the topology of Ca coincides
with the topology generated by d, we conclude that Ca is Lindelöf. In order
to show that X is Lindelöf, it is enough to prove Lemma 5.
Lemma 5 [S]. If a < wB and U is an open subset of X containing Ca , there
is a sequence (yn)^Lx in a suchthat:
\J{Cy: y < a}\U c \J{Cy: y < yn and n e TV}.
Observe that Lemma 5 is similar to Lemma 1 .
Proof. If cf(a) — w it is trivial, so let us assume that w < cf(a). Observe
that w < cf(wR); otherwise, (x ) .,, is bounded. As C is Lindelöf and

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 546 K. ALSTER

w < cf(Wg), we can assume without loss of generality that there are y'x < a
and an open subset 77 of (Y, d) so that U = H n (LKC,: 7X< 7 < a}) .
Suppose that a = w„. Because Y is compact, we infer that K = Y\H is a
compact subset of P. Hence, there is y in P so that y < y for y e K.
Since (x ) is unbounded, we conclude that there is y'x < y2 < w„ so that
x„ <„ y . Observe that if y, < y and x e C„, then x„ < x so that x < y .
From this observation, it follows that U{C : y2 < y < wß} c H; therefore, by
the definition of U, \J{C : y2 < y < wß} c U .
Let us assume that a < wß . Observe that \J{C : y < a} c XQ and that
An = Xa(n)\H is compact with respect to the topology of P. If Tn = {y <
a: C \~xAn^ 0} is not empty, then (S) implies that supTn = yn < a. Suppose
that this is not the case, and choose x e X n An for y e Tn . Observe that
{x': y e Tn} is a strictly increasing sequence in An of uncountable cofinality.
By (S) there is x e An so that x <„ x for y € Tn. Since supT = a and
x < x , we infer that x eC cU, contradiction. We conclude that:

LKq,: 7 < a}\C7C IJ{C7:y < yn and zze TV}ulJ{C7:

y<y\}

Remark. Observe that in order to construct the last example, we needed a

slightly weaker statement than (S), (S1), which says that there is an unbounded,
strictly increasing sequence (x ) in P such that for every a < wß of un-
countable cofinality and every compact subset Z of P, if C = {x e P: x <m x
and x i <t x for y < y}, Y = {y < a: Cy n Z ^ 0}, supT = a, and
x' eC xxZ for y € T, then x e Z will satisfy x' < x for y e T.
Observe that (S1) holds if there is an unbounded, strictly increasing sequence
of length wx . Therefore, our construction improves the result of Burke and
Davis [BD], which says that a wx-scale implies the existence of a Lindelöf
space whose product with the space of irrationals is not Lindelöf.
We say that an open cover í¿ = {U : y < a} of A' is essential if w < cf(a)
and U \\J{U >: y < y} is not errvpty for y < a .

Theorem (MA). If X is a Lindelöf space, then there is no essential open cover

y = {U : y <a} of the product X x P so that cf(a) < c.

Proof. If this is not the case, there is an essential cover % = {U : y < a}

of X x P so that cf(a) < c. Let p be an element of P for y < a so that
%x {Py}\U{Uy': y ^ y) is not empty. Let {y„: ß < cf(a)} be a cofinal subset
of a . MA implies that there is p e P so that p < p for ß < cf(a), see [K],
exercise 8, p. 87. Since w < cf(a), {p*ß: ß < cf(a)} c Z = {x e P: x <t p} ,
Z is ff-compact, and the product of a cr-compact space and a Lindelöf space

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 PRODUCT OF A LINDELÖF SPACE 547

is Lindelöf, we infer that there is y < a so that X x {p : ß < cf(a)} c

\\){Uf- y < y'} ■ On the other hand, if ß is such that y < yß , then by the
definition of p iß , X x {piß } is not a subset of \J{U'y: y < y'}, contradiction.

Corollary 1 (MA and wx < c). If X is Lindelöf, then the product X x P does
not contain an uncountable discrete subset.
Corollary 2 (MA and wx < c). If X is a regular space, the following conditions
are equivalent :
(a) X x P is Lindelöf,
(b) X x P is meta-Lindelöf.
If wn < c also holds for zz6 TV, (a) and (b) are equivalent to:
(c) for every open cover %, there is a natural number n and a refinement
W so that every point of X xP belongs to at most wn elements of 7^.

Corollary 3 (MA and ww < c). If X is a Lindelöf space of weight less than ww,
then the product X x P is Lindelöf.
We shall finish with the following problems:
Problem 1. Does (S) hold in ZFC?
Problem 2. Does (S1) hold in ZFC?
Problem 3. Let us assume that X is a Lindelöf space and that MA holds. Does
every open cover of XxP with cardinality less than c have a countable subcover ?
Observe that a positive answer to the first problem implies a positive answer
to the second, but that (S1) is sufficient to construct a real example of a Lindelöf
space whose product with the space of irrationals is not Lindelöf.
Added in proof. Recently D. H. Fremlin has proved that (S) does not hold
provided that b = c.

References
[BD] D. K. Burke and S. W. Davis, Subsets of w^ and generalized metric spaces. Pacific J. Math.
110(1984), 273-281.
[E] R. Engelking, General topology, Warszawa, 1977.
[K] K. Kunen, Set theory, An introduction to independence proofs. Stud. Logic Foundations Math,
vol. 102.
[M] E. Michael, Paracompactness and the Lindelöf property in finite and countable Cartesian
products, Compositio Math. 23 (1971), 199-214.

Institute of Mathematics, PAN, Warsaw, Poland

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