The convergence-theoretic approach to weakly first countable spaces and symmetrizable spaces

Abstract

Abstract This article fits in the context of the approach to topological problems in terms of the underlying convergence space structures, and serves as yet another illustration of the power of the method. More specifically, we spell out convergence-theoretic characterizations of the notions of weak base, weakly first-countable space, semi-metrizable space, and symmetrizable spaces. With the help of the already established similar characterizations of the notions of Frchet-Ursyohn, sequential, and accessibility spaces, we give a simple algebraic proof of a classical result regarding when a symmetrizable (respectively, weakly first-countable, respectively sequential) space is semi-metrizable (respectively first-countable, respectively Fréchet) that clarifies the situation for non-Hausdorff spaces. Using additionally known results on the commutation of the topologizer with product, we obtain simple algebraic proofs of various results of Y. Tanaka on the stability under product of symmetrizability and weak first-countability, and we obtain the same way a new characterization of spaces whose product with every metrizable topology is weakly first-countable, respectively symmetrizable.