A $\sigma$-frame is a poset with countable joins and finite meets in which binary meets distribute over countable joins. The aim of this paper is to show that $\sigma$-frames, actually $\sigma$-locales, can be seen as a branch of Formal Topology, that is, intuitionistic and predicative point-free topology. Every $\sigma$-frame $L$ is the lattice of Lindel\"of elements (those for which each of their covers admits a countable subcover) of a formal topology of a specific kind which, in its turn, is a presentation of the free frame over $L$. We then give a constructive characterization of the smallest (strongly) dense $\sigma$-sublocale of a given $\sigma$-locale, thus providing a "$\sigma$-version" of a Boolean locale. Our development depends on the axiom of countable choice.

@article{paperbot1748,
  title = {$\sigma$-locales in Formal Topology},
  author = {Francesco Ciraulo},
  journal = {Logical Methods in Computer Science},
  volume = {Volume 18, Issue 1},
  year = {2022},
  doi = {10.46298/lmcs-18(1:7)2022}
}