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Collectionwise normal Moore spaces are screenable

Statement

In ZFC every collectionwise normal Moore space is screenable: every open cover of the space has a refinement that is a countable union of pairwise disjoint families of open sets and covers the space (Moore spaces and developments, Normalized families and collectionwise normality, The Axiom of Choice).

Facts & Assumptions

Given: A collectionwise normal Moore space X with a decreasing development (Gn)nN (Moore spaces and developments) and an open cover H={Hα:αA} well-ordered by W.

[F1]

Each St(x,Gn) is open and contains x, and for open Dx there is n with St(x,Gn)D; members of Gm are contained in members of Gn when nm (Moore spaces and developments, Refinements, locally finite families, point-finite families, and star refinements).

[F2]

Collectionwise normality: every discrete family of closed sets has a pairwise disjoint open expansion (Normalized families and collectionwise normality, Discrete families and σ-locally-finite and σ-discrete bases).

[L1]

zF exactly when every neighbourhood of z meets F; hence an open set disjoint from F is disjoint from F (A point lies in the closure of A iff every basic neighbourhood of it meets A; the closure is the smallest closed superset and equals A together with its derived set).

[L2]

The well-ordering W provides least elements, so "the W-least H with a property" is a definable description (The Axiom of Choice).

Proof

technique · direct
1.1

Fix (Gn), H and W. For nN and αA put X(α,n):={xX:xHα, xHβ for all β<α, every GGn with xG satisfies GHα}.

givenF1L2
2.1

α,nX(α,n)=X, and X(α,n)Hα for all α,n: given x, let α be the W-least index with xHα and choose n with St(x,Gn)Hα; every GGn containing x is then contained in Hα, so xX(α,n).

step 1.1F1L2
2.2

Each X(α,n) is closed. Let zX(α,n) and GGn with zG. By [L1] there is yGX(α,n); then z,yGGn, and since every member of Gn containing y lies in Hα, we get GHα; hence every member of Gn containing z lies in Hα. Also zSt(z,Gn)Hα, and zHβ for β<α because HβX(α,n)= with Hβ open and [L1]. So zX(α,n).

step 1.1F1L1
2.3

For each fixed n the family {X(α,n):αA} is discrete. Let xX, let β be W-least with xHβ and choose kn with St(x,Gk)Hβ. If ySt(x,Gk)X(α,n), pick GGk with x,yG; since G lies in some HGn, we have xSt(y,Gn)Hα, so βα. Also ySt(x,Gk)Hβ, so if β<α then yHβ contradicts yX(α,n); hence α=β and the open neighbourhood St(x,Gk) of x meets at most one member.

step 1.1F1
3.1

For each n, apply [F2] to the discrete family {X(α,n):αA} of closed sets, obtaining pairwise disjoint open sets W(α,n)X(α,n), and put Y(α,n):=W(α,n)Hα. Then each Y(α,n) is open, contains X(α,n), lies in Hα, and the family {Y(α,n):αA} is pairwise disjoint.

step 2.2step 2.3F2
4.1

Since α,nX(α,n)=X by step 2.1, the family n{Y(α,n):αA} covers X, refines H by step 3.1, and is a countable union of pairwise disjoint families of open sets. Hence the arbitrary open cover H has such a refinement and X is screenable.

step 2.1step 2.2

Remarks

  • Bing's Theorem 9 is steps 1.1-4.1. The sets X(α,n) are Bing's x(h,i), each Xi is his discrete family of closed sets, and the well-order of the cover is exactly where choice enters; the proof of closedness follows his displayed argument, with the closure criterion used at the two places where an open set disjoint from a member must remain disjoint from its closure.

  • Collectionwise normality is used once, in step 3.1, and it is applied to a family of closed sets; the expansion is then intersected with the corresponding cover member so that the refinement property survives. A merely normal space would not suffice at this step.

Depends on

Used by

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Sources