The Markov-Zariski topology of an abelian group

According to Markov, a subset of an abelian group G of the form {x in G: nx=a}, for some integer n and some element a of G, is an elementary algebraic set; finite unions of elementary algebraic sets are called algebraic sets. We prove that a subset of an abelian group G is algebraic if and only if it is closed in every precompact (=totally bounded) Hausdorff group topology on G. The family of all algebraic subsets of an abelian group G forms the family of closed subsets of a unique Noetherian T_1 topology on G called the Zariski, or verbal, topology of G. We investigate the properties of this topology. In particular, we show that the Zariski topology is always hereditarily separable and Frechet-Urysohn. For a countable family F of subsets of an abelian group G of cardinality at most the continuum, we construct a precompact metric group topology T on G such that the T-closure of each member of F coincides with its Zariski closure. As an application, we provide a characterization of the subsets of G that are dense in some Hausdorff group topology on G, and we show that such a topology, if it exists, can always be chosen so that it is precompact and metric. This provides a partial answer to a long-standing problem of Markov

Metrization criteria for compact groups in terms of their dense subgroups

According to Comfort, Raczkowski and Trigos-Arrieta, a dense subgroup D of a compact abelian group G determines G if the restriction homomorphism G^ --> D^ of the dual groups is a topological isomorphism. We introduce four conditions on D that are necessary for it to determine G and we resolve the following question: If one of these conditions holds for every dense (or G_\delta-dense) subgroup D of G, must G be metrizable? In particular, we prove (in ZFC) that a compact abelian group determined by all its G_\delta-dense subgroups is metrizable, thereby resolving a question by Hernandez, Macario and Trigos-Arrieta. (Under the additional assumption of the Continuum Hypothesis CH, the same statement was proved recently by Bruguera, Chasco, Dominguez, Tkachenko and Trigos-Arrieta.) As a tool, we develop a machinery for building G_\delta-dense subgroups without uncountable compact subsets in compact groups of weight \omega_1 (in ZFC). The construction is delicate, as these subgroups must have non-trivial convergent sequences in some models of ZFC.Comment: The exposition has substantially improved. Remarks 5.6 and 5.7 are new. Three references adde

Hewitt-Marczewski-Pondiczery type theorem for abelian groups and Markov's potential density

For an uncountable cardinal \tau and a subset S of an abelian group G, the following conditions are equivalent: (i) |{ns:s\in S}|\ge \tau for all integers n\ge 1; (ii) there exists a group homomorphism \pi:G\to T^{2^\tau} such that \pi(S) is dense in T^{2^\tau}. Moreover, if |G|\le 2^{2^\tau}, then the following item can be added to this list: (iii) there exists an isomorphism \pi:G\to G' between G and a subgroup G' of T^{2^\tau} such that \pi(S) is dense in T^{2^\tau}. We prove that the following conditions are equivalent for an uncountable subset S of an abelian group G that is either (almost) torsion-free or divisible: (a) S is T-dense in G for some Hausdorff group topology T on G; (b) S is T-dense in some precompact Hausdorff group topology T on G; (c) |{ns:s\in S}|\ge \min{\tau:|G|\le 2^{2^\tau}} for every integer n\ge 1. This partially resolves a question of Markov going back to 1946

A complete solution of Markov's problem on connected group topologies

Every proper closed subgroup of a connected Hausdorff group must have index at least c, the cardinality of the continuum. 70 years ago Markov conjectured that a group G can be equipped with a connected Hausdorff group topology provided that every subgroup of G which is closed in all Hausdorff group topologies on G has index at least c. Counter-examples in the non-abelian case were provided 25 years ago by Pestov and Remus, yet the problem whether Markov's Conjecture holds for abelian groups G remained open. We resolve this problem in the positive

Direct sums and products in topological groups and vector spaces

We call a subset $A$ of an abelian topological group $G$: (i) $absolutely$ $Cauchy$ $summable$ provided that for every open neighbourhood $U$ of $0$ one can find a finite set $F\subseteq A$ such that the subgroup generated by $A\setminus F$ is contained in $U$; (ii) $absolutely$ $summable$ if, for every family $\{z_a:a\in A\}$ of integer numbers, there exists $g\in G$ such that the net \left\{\sum_{a\in F} z_a a: F\subseteq A\mbox{ is finite}\right\} converges to $g$; (iii) $topologically$ $independent$ provided that $0\not \in A$ and for every neighbourhood $W$ of $0$ there exists a neighbourhood $V$ of $0$ such that, for every finite set $F\subseteq A$ and each set $\{z_a:a\in F\}$ of integers, $\sum_{a\in F}z_aa\in V$ implies that $z_aa\in W$ for all $a\in F$. We prove that: (1) an abelian topological group contains a direct product (direct sum) of $\kappa$-many non-trivial topological groups if and only if it contains a topologically independent, absolutely (Cauchy) summable subset of cardinality $\kappa$; (2) a topological vector space contains $\mathbb{R}^{(\mathbb{N})}$ as its subspace if and only if it has an infinite absolutely Cauchy summable set; (3) a topological vector space contains $\mathbb{R}^{\mathbb{N}}$ as its subspace if and only if it has an $\mathbb{R}^{(\mathbb{N})}$ multiplier convergent series of non-zero elements. We answer a question of Hu\v{s}ek and generalize results by Bessaga-Pelczynski-Rolewicz, Dominguez-Tarieladze and Lipecki

Minimal pseudocompact group topologies on free abelian groups

A Hausdorff topological group G is minimal if every continuous isomorphism f: G --> H between G and a Hausdorff topological group H is open. Significantly strengthening a 1981 result of Stoyanov, we prove the following theorem: For every infinite minimal abelian group G there exists a sequence {\sigma_n : n\in N} of cardinals such that w(G) = sup {\sigma_n : n \in N} and sup {2^{\sigma_n} : n \in N} \leq |G| \leq 2^{w(G)}, where w(G) is the weight of G. If G is an infinite minimal abelian group, then either |G| = 2^\sigma for some cardinal \sigma, or w(G) = min {\sigma: |G| \leq 2^\sigma}; moreover, the equality |G| = 2^{w(G)} holds whenever cf (w(G)) > \omega. For a cardinal \kappa, we denote by F_\kappa the free abelian group with \kappa many generators. If F_\kappa admits a pseudocompact group topology, then \kappa \geq c, where c is the cardinality of the continuum. We show that the existence of a minimal pseudocompact group topology on F_c is equivalent to the Lusin's Hypothesis 2^{\omega_1} = c. For \kappa > c, we prove that F_\kappa admits a (zero-dimensional) minimal pseudocompact group topology if and only if F_\kappa has both a minimal group topology and a pseudocompact group topology. If \kappa > c, then F_\kappa admits a connected minimal pseudocompact group topology of weight \sigma if and only if \kappa = 2^\sigma. Finally, we establish that no infinite torsion-free abelian group can be equipped with a locally connected minimal group topology.Comment: 18 page