Relative (Functionally) Type I Spaces and Narrow Subspaces

Abstract

An open chain cover $\mathcal{U}=\left\{U_\alpha: \alpha \in \kappa\right\}$ ( $\kappa$ a cardinal) of a space $X$ is a systematic cover if $\overline{U_\alpha} \subset U_\beta$ when $\alpha<\beta$, and $X$ is Type I if $\kappa=\omega_1$ and each $\overline{U_\alpha}$ is Lindelöf. A closed subspace $D \subset X$ is narrow in $X$ if for each systematic cover $\left\{V_\alpha: \alpha \in \omega_1\right\}$ of $X$, either there is $\alpha$ such that $D \subset V_\alpha$ or $\overline{V_\alpha} \cap D$ is Lindelöf for each $\alpha$. Taking systematic covers given by $s^{-1}([0, \alpha))$ for a continuous $s$ : $X \rightarrow \mathbb{L}_{\geq 0}$ (where $\mathbb{L}_{\geq 0}$ is the long ray) defines functionally Type I spaces and functionally narrow subspaces. For inst ance, $\mathbb{L}_{\geq 0}$ and $\omega_1$ are narrow in themselves and any other space.

We investigate these properties and relative versions, as well as their relationship, and show in particular the following. There are functionally Hausdorff Type I spaces which are not functionally Type I, while regular Type I spaces are functionally Type I. We exhibit examples of spaces which are narrow in some but not in other spaces. There are subspaces of a Tychonoff space $Y$ that are functionally narrow but not narrow in $Y$, while both notions agree if $Y$ is normal. Under PFA and using classical results, any $\omega_1$-compact locally compact countably tight Type I space contains a non-Lindelöf subspace narrow in it (a copy of $\omega_1$, actually), while a Suslin tree does not. There are spaces with subspaces narrow in them that are essentially discrete. Finally, we investigate natural partial orders on (functionally) narrow subspaces and when these orders are $\omega$ - or $\omega_1$-closed.