The Baire algebra of a topological space X is the quotient of the algebra of all subsets of X modulo the meager sets. We show that this Boolean algebra can be endowed with a natural closure operator, resulting in a closure algebra which we denote $\mathbf {Baire}(X)$. We identify the modal logic of such algebras to be the well-known system $\mathsf {S5}$, and prove soundness and strong completeness for the cases where X is crowded and either completely metrizable and continuum-sized or locally compact Hausdorff. We also show that every extension of $\mathsf {S5}$ is the modal logic of a subalgebra of $\mathbf {Baire}(X)$, and that soundness and strong completeness also holds in the language with the universal modality.

We construct a separately continuous function $e:E\times K\rightarrow \{0,1\}$ on the product of a Baire space $E$ and a compact space $K$ such that no restriction of $e$ to any non-meagre Borel set in $E\times K$ is continuous. The function $e$ has no points of joint continuity, and, hence, it provides a negative solution of Talagrand’s problem in Talagrand [Espaces de Baire et espaces de Namioka, Math. Ann.270 (1985), 159–164].

In this paper, we investigate Volterra spaces and relevant topological properties. New characterizations of weakly Volterra spaces are provided. An analogy of the Banach category theorem in terms of Volterra properties is obtained. It is shown that every weakly Volterra homogeneous space is Volterra, and there are metrizable Baire spaces whose hyperspaces of nonempty compact subsets endowed with the Vietoris topology are not weakly Volterra.

Suppose that $X$ is a Polish space which is not $\sigma$-compact. We prove that for every Borel colouring of $X^2$ by countably many colours, there exists a monochromatic rectangle with both sides closed and not $\sigma$-compact. Moreover, every Borel colouring of $[X]^2$ by finitely many colours has a homogeneous set which is closed and not $\sigma$-compact. We also show that every Borel measurable function $f:X^2 \rightarrow X$ has a free set which is closed and not $\sigma$-compact. As corollaries of the proofs we obtain two results: firstly, the product forcing of two copies of superperfect tree forcing does not add a Cohen real, and, secondly, it is consistent with ZFC to have a closed subset of the Baire space which is not $\sigma$-compact and has the property that, for any three of its elements, none of them is constructible from the other two. A similar proof shows that it is consistent to have a Laver tree such that none of its branches is constructible from any other branch. The last four results answer questions of Goldstern and Brendle. 2000 Mathematics Subject Classification: 03E15, 26B99, 54H05.

We discuss in the paper the following problem: Given a function in a given Baire class, into “how many” (in terms of cardinal numbers) functions of lower classes can it be decomposed? The decomposition is understood here in the sense of the set-theoretical union.