A function is two-to-one if every point in the image has exactly two inverse points. We show that every two-to-one continuous image of ℕ* is homeomorphic to ℕ* when the continuum hypothesis is assumed. We also prove that there is no irreducible two-to-one continuous function whose domain is ℕ* under the same assumption.
It is shown that 2-to-1 maps cannot be defined on certain solenoids, in particular on the dyadic solenoid, and on Knaster continua.
Let X be an infinite set, and (X) the Boolean algebra of subsets of X. We consider the following statements: BPI(X): Every proper filter of (X) can be extended to an ultrafilter. UF(X): (X) has a free ultrafilter. We will show in ZF (i.e., Zermelo-Fraenkel set theory without the Axiom of Choice) that the following four statements are equivalent: (i) BPI(ω). (ii) The Tychonoff product , where 2 is the discrete space 0,1, is compact. (iii) The Tychonoff product is compact. (iv) In a Boolean algebra...