P-spaces and the Whyburn property

Abstract

We investigate the Whyburn and weakly Whyburn property in the class of $P$-spaces, that is spaces where every countable intersection of open sets is open. We construct examples of non-weakly Whyburn $P$-spaces of size continuum, thus giving a negative answer under CH to a question of Pelant, Tkachenko, Tkachuk and Wilson. In addition, we show that the weak Kurepa Hypothesis (a set-theoretic assumption weaker than CH) implies the existence of a non-weakly Whyburn $P$-space of size ${\aleph }_2$. Finally, we consider the behavior of the above-mentioned properties under products; we show in particular that the product of a Lindelöf weakly Whyburn P-space and a Lindelöf Whyburn $P$-space is weakly Whyburn, and we give a consistent example of a non-Whyburn product of two Lindelöf Whyburn $P$-spaces.

16 pages, to appear on the Houston Journal of Mathematics