The Borsuk-Ulam theorem for maps into a surface (Q975223)

Let \(X\) be a CW-complex with a cellular free involution \(\tau\) and \(S\) a surface. The triple \((X,\tau,S)\) is said to have the Borsuk-Ulam property if for every map \(f:X\to S\) there is an \(x\in X\) with \(f(x)=f(\tau(x))\). The authors prove the following result: (1) The triple \((X,\tau,\mathbb{S}^2)\) satisfies the Borsuk-Ulam property iff \((X,\tau,\mathbb{R}^3)\) does so. (2) If \(\dim X=2\) then \((X,\tau,S^2)\) does not satisfy the Borsuk-Ulam property for any cellular free \(\tau\). (3) \((\mathbb{S}^3,\tau,\mathbb{S}^2)\) satisfies the Borsuk-Ulam property for the unique (up to conjugacy) free cellular involution \(\tau\) on \(\mathbb{S}^3\). (4) The triple \((\mathbb{R}P^3,\tau,\mathbb {S}^2)\) does not satisfy the Borsuk-Ulam property for the unique (up to conjugacy) free cellular involution on \(\mathbb{R}P^3\). There are other results dealing with the case where \(X\) is finite-dimensional and \(S\) is a compact orientable surface without boundary and \(\pi_1(X/\tau)\) is isomorphic to the fundamental group of a non-orientable surface without boundary. The proofs involve properties of the 2-string braid group of the surface \(S\).