Reconstructing Compact Metrizable Spaces

Abstract

The deck, $\mathcal{D}(X)$, of a topological space $X$ is the set $\mathcal{D}(X)=\{[X\setminus \{x\}]:x\in X\}$, where $[Y]$ denotes the homeomorphism class of $Y$. A space $X$ is (topologically) reconstructible if whenever $\mathcal{D}(Z)=\mathcal{D}(X)$ then $Z$ is homeomorphic to $X$. It is known that every (metrizable) continuum is reconstructible, whereas the Cantor set is non-reconstructible. The main result of this paper characterises the non-reconstructible compact metrizable spaces as precisely those where for each point $x$ there is a sequence $⟨B_n^x:n\in \mathbb{N}⟩$ of pairwise disjoint clopen subsets converging to $x$ such that $B_n^x$ and $B_n^y$ are homeomorphic for each $n$, and all $x$ and $y$. In a non-reconstructible compact metrizable space the set of $1$-point components forms a dense $G_{\delta }$. For $h$-homogeneous spaces, this condition is sufficient for non-reconstruction. A wide variety of spaces with a dense $G_{\delta }$ set of $1$-point components are presented, some reconstructible and others not reconstructible.

15 pages, 2 figures