We further the research in o-minimal topology by studying in full generality definable topological spaces in o-minimal structures. These are topological spaces $(X, \tau)$, where $X$ is a definable set in an o-minimal structure and the topology $\tau$ has a basis that is (uniformly) definable. Examples include the canonical o-minimal "euclidean" topology, “definable spaces” in the sense of van den Dries [17], definable metric spaces [49], as well as generalizations of classical non-metrizable topological spaces such as the Split Interval and the Alexandrov Double Circle.
We develop a usable topological framework in our setting by introducing definable analogues of classical topological properties such as separability, compactness and metrizability. We characterize these notions, showing in particular that, whenever the underlying o-minimal structure expands $(\mathbb{R},<)$, definable separability and compactness are equivalent to their classical counterparts, and a similar weaker result for definable metrizability. We prove the equivalence of definable compactness and various other properties in terms of definable curves and types. We show that definable topological spaces in o-minimal expansions of ordered groups and fields have properties akin to first countability. Along the way we study o-minimal definable directed sets and types. We prove a density result for o-minimal types, and provide an elementary proof within o-minimality of a statement related to the known connection between dividing and definable types in o-minimal theories.
We prove classification and universality results for one-dimensional definable topological spaces, showing that these can be largely described in terms of a few canonical examples. We derive in particular that the three element basis conjecture of Gruenhage [25] holds for all infinite Hausdorff definable topological spaces in o-minimal structures expanding $(\mathbb{R},<)$, i.e. any such space has a definable copy of an interval with the euclidean, discrete or lower limit topology.
A definable topological space is affine if it is definably homeomorphic to a euclidean space. We prove affineness results in o-minimal expansions of ordered fields. This includes a result for Hausdorff one-dimensional definable topological spaces. We give two new proofs of an affineness theorem of Walsberg [49] for definable metric spaces. We also prove an affineness result for definable topological spaces of any dimension that are Tychonoff in a definable
sense, and derive that a large class of locally affine definable topological spaces are affine.