Pinning Down versus Density

The pinning down number ${pd}(X)$ of a topological space $X$ is the smallest cardinal $\kappa$ such that for any neighborhood assignment $U:X\to \tau_X$ there is a set $A\in [X]^\kappa$ with $A\cap U(x)\ne\emptyset$ for all $x\in X$. Clearly, c$(X) \le {pd}(X) \le {d}(X)$. Here we prove that the following statements are equivalent: (1) $2^\kappa<\kappa^{+\omega}$ for each cardinal $\kappa$; (2) ${d}(X)={pd}(X)$ for each Hausdorff space $X$; (3) ${d}(X)={pd}(X)$ for each 0-dimensional Hausdorff space $X$. This answers two questions of Banakh and Ravsky. The dispersion character $\Delta(X)$ of a space $X$ is the smallest cardinality of a non-empty open subset of $X$. We also show that if ${pd}(X)<{d}(X)$ then $X$ has an open subspace $Y$ with ${pd}(Y)<{d}(Y)$ and $|Y| = \Delta(Y)$, moreover the following three statements are equiconsistent: (i) There is a singular cardinal $\lambda$ with $pp(\lambda)>\lambda^+$, i.e. Shelah's Strong Hypothesis fails; (ii) there is a 0-dimensional Hausdorff space $X$ such that $|X|=\Delta(X)$ is a regular cardinal and ${pd}(X)<{d}(X)$; (iii) there is a topological space $X$ such that $|X|=\Delta(X)$ is a regular cardinal and ${pd}(X)<{d}(X)$. We also prove that $\bullet$ ${d}(X)={pd}(X)$ for any locally compact Hausdorff space $X$; $\bullet$ for every Hausdorff space $X$ we have $|X|\le 2^{2^{{pd}(X)}}$ and ${pd}(X)<{d}(X)$ implies $\Delta(X)< 2^{2^{{pd}(X)}}$; $\bullet$ for every regular space $X$ we have $\min\{\Delta(X),\, w(X)\}\le 2^{{pd}(X)}\,$ and ${d}(X)<2^{{pd}(X)},\,$ moreover ${pd}(X)<{d}(X)$ implies $\,\Delta(X)< {2^{{pd}(X)}}$.