Lift factors for the Nielsen root theory on \(n\)-valued maps (Q6044511)

This article presents the basic foundations for a Nielsen root theory of \(n\)-valued maps from the point of view of lifting classes. Given spaces \(X\) and \(Y\), an \(n\)-valued map from \(X\) to \(Y\) is a continuous map \(\phi:X\to D_n(Y)\), where \(D_n(Y)\) is the unordered configuration space of \(n\) points of \(Y\). Nielsen root theory was defined in this setting by the first author in [J. Fixed Point Theory Appl. 4, No. 2, 183--201 (2008; Zbl 1177.55005); ibid. 23, No. 4, Paper No. 51, 10 p. (2021; Zbl 1514.55001)]. Fixing a chosen point \(a\in Y\), a \textit{root} of an \(n\)-valued map \(\phi: X \to D_n(Y)\) is a point \(x\in X\) with \(a\in \phi(x)\). The lifting classes of \(\phi\) are defined as equivalence classes of liftings \(\hat \phi: \hat X \to F_n(Y)\), where \(F_n(Y)\) is the ordered configuration space of \(n\) points of \(Y\), and \(\hat X\) is the finite cover of \(X\) corresponding to the kernel of the composition \(\pi_1(X) \to B_n(X) \to S_n\) where the first map is the induced homomorphism of \(\phi\) on fundamental groups, and the second map is the underlying permutation of a braid. Because \(\hat \phi\) is a map into an ordered configuration space, it naturally splits into \(n\) single-valued maps \(\hat g_1,\dots,\hat g_n: \hat X \to Y\), called the \textit{lift factors} of \(\phi\). If \(\hat x_0, \hat x_1\) are two roots of some \(\hat g_i\), they are said to be equivalent if there is a path from \(\hat x_0\) to \(\hat x_1\) such that \(\phi\) applied to this path includes a nullhomotopic loop at \(a\). Following the typical exposition from Nielsen theory of single-valued maps, the authors associate to each root point an equivalence class called its \textit{root class}, defined in terms of equivalences of the liftings \(\hat g_i\). The total number of different root classes of \(\phi\) is the \textit{Reidemeister root number} of \(\phi\). The authors show that root classes are naturally preserved by homotopy of \(\phi\), making the Reidemeister root number a homotopy invariant. They also show that the Reidemeister root number is an upper bound for the Nielsen root number, the total number of ``essential'' root classes. In the final section, assuming \(X\) and \(Y\) are connected closed orientable manifolds of the same dimension, the authors define a \textit{root index} of \(\phi\) in terms of the (single-valued) root index of one of the lift factors \(\hat g_i\). They demonstrate that essentiality of root classes is equivalent to the nonvanishing of the root index. Many examples are provided throughout to demonstrate the ideas and results.