Some topological invariants and biorthogonal systems in Banach spaces

Abstract: We consider topological invariants on compact spaces related to the sizes of discrete subspaces (spread), densities of subspaces, Lindelof degree of subspaces, irredundant families of clopen sets and others and look at the following associations between compact topological spaces and Banach spaces: a compact K induces a Banach space C(K) of real valued continuous functions on K with the supremum norm; a Banach space X induces a compact space - the dual ball with the weak* topology. We inquire on how topological invariants on K and the dual ball are linked to the sizes of biorthogonal systems and their versions in C(K) and X respectively. We gather folkloric facts and survey recent results like that of Lopez-Abad and Todorcevic that it is consistent that there is a Banach space X without uncountable biorthogonal systems such that the spread of the dual ball is uncountable or that of Brech and Koszmider that it is consistent that there is a compact space where spread of the square of K ic countable but C(K) has uncountable biorthogonal systems.