On functional tightness of infinite products

Abstract

A classical theorem of Malykhin says that if $\{X_\alpha:\alpha\leq\kappa\}$ is a family of compact spaces such that $t(X_\alpha)\leq \kappa$, for every $\alpha\leq\kappa$, then $t\left( \prod_{\alpha\leq \kappa} X_\alpha \right)\leq \kappa$, where $t(X)$ is the tightness of a space $X$. In this paper we prove the following counterpart of Malykhin's theorem for functional tightness: Let $\{X_\alpha:\alpha<\lambda\}$ be a family of compact spaces such that $t_0(X_\alpha)\leq \kappa$ for every $\alpha<\lambda$. If $\lambda \leq 2^\kappa$ or $\lambda$ is less than the first measurable cardinal, then $t_0\left( \prod_{\alpha<\lambda} X_\alpha \right)\leq \kappa$, where $t_0(X)$ is the functional tightness of a space $X$. In particular, if there are no measurable cardinals, then the functional tightness is preserved by arbitrarily large products of compacta. Our result answers a question posed by Okunev.