The linear refinement number and selection theory
The linear refinement number is the minimal cardinality of a centered family in such that no linearly ordered set in refines this family. The linear excluded middle number is a variation of . We show that these numbers estimate the critical cardinalities of a number of selective covering properties. We compare these numbers to the classical combinatorial cardinal characteristics of the continuum. We prove that = = in all models where the continuum is at most ℵ₂, and that the cofinality of is...