When is the {I}sbell topology a group topology?

Abstract

Conditions on a topological space $X$ under which the space $C(X,\mathbb{R})$ of continuous real-valued maps with the Isbell topology $\kappa$ is a topological group (topological vector space) are investigated. It is proved that the addition is jointly continuous at the zero function in $C_{\kappa }(X,\mathbb{R})$ if and only if $X$ is infraconsonant. This property is (formally) weaker than consonance, which implies that the Isbell and the compact-open topologies coincide. It is shown the translations are continuous in $C_{\kappa }(X,\mathbb{R})$ if and only if the Isbell topology coincides with the fine Isbell topology. It is proved that these topologies coincide if $X$ is prime (that is, with at most one non-isolated point), but do not even for some sums of two consonant prime spaces.