When homology equivalence implies homotopy equivalence for 2-complexes (Q1181424)

It was shown by W. Browning that two finite 2-dimensional CW-complexes with the same finite abelian fundamental group \(\pi\) are homotopy- equivalent if and only if they are homology-equivalent via a map that induces an isomorphism of the fundamental group. The author proves this result under more general assumptions and generalizes it to the case of a fundamental group \(\pi\) that may be a left-iterated semi-direct product of finite cyclic groups. For the proof, he constructs an isomorphism from which follows that the obstruction to homotopy equivalence vanishes if and only if the obstruction to homology equivalence vanishes. One example for a group satisfying the hypotheses of the theorem is the dihedral group of order \(4n\), other examples are announced.