Some theorems on the existence of continuous real-valued functions on a topological space (for example, insertion, extension, and separation theorems) can be proved without involving uncountable unions of open sets. In particular, it is shown that well-known characterizations of normality (for example the Katětov-Tong insertion theorem, the Tietze extension theorem, Urysohn's lemma) are characterizations of normal σ-rings. Likewise, similar theorems about extremally disconnected spaces are true for σ-rings of a certain type. This σ-ring approach leads to general results on the existence of functions of class α.

We generalize the generic single-valuedness and continuity of monotone operators defined on open subsets of Banach spaces of class (S) and Asplund spaces to monotone operators defined on convex subsets of such spaces which may even fail to have non-support points. This yields differentiability theorems for convex Lipschitzian functions on such sets. From a result about minimal convex uscos which are densely single-valued we obtain generic differentiability results for certain Lipschitzian realvalued functions.

An example is given of a regular space on which every real-valued function with a closed graph is constant. It was previously known that there are regular spaces on which every continuous function is constant. It is also shown here that there are regular spaces that support only constant real-valued continuous functions, but support non-constant real-valued functions with a closed graph.

For a completely regular Hausdorff topological space X, let Z(X) denote the lattice of zero-sets of X. If T is a continuous map from X to Y, then there is a lattice homomorphism T” from Z(Y) to Z(X) induced by T which is defined by τ‘(A) = τ←(A). A characterization is given of those lattice homomorphisms from Z(Y) to Z(X) which are induced in the above way by a continuous function from X to Y.