Smooth realizations of relative Nielsen numbers (Q1902992)

Let \(M\) be a compact, connected \(n\)-manifold, \(n \geq 3\), and let \(f: M \to M\) be a map. \textit{F. Wecken} [Math. Ann. 118, 544-577 (1942; Zbl 0027.26503)] proved that there is a map \(g\) homotopic to \(f\) such that \(g\) has exactly \(N(f)\) fixed points, where \(N(f)\) denotes the Nielsen number of \(f\). \textit{B. Jiang} [Lect. Notes Math. 886, 163-170 (1981; Zbl 0482.57014)] obtained the smooth analogue of this realization theorem of Wecken, that is, he showed that if \(M\) is a smooth \((C^\infty)\) manifold, then there is a smooth map \(g\) homotopic to \(f\) with exactly \(N(f)\) fixed points. However, not all fixed point realization results have smooth analogues. The complex squaring map on the unit circle extends continuously to a map of the unit disc with no fixed points on the interior of the disc, but every smooth extension must have an interior fixed point (see [the reviewer and the first author, Am. Math. Mon. 101, 39-47 (1994; Zbl 0813.54030)] for this example and [the second author, Fundam. Math. 141, 31-59 (1992; Zbl 0812.55002)] for a more thorough investigation). Suppose \(A\) is a closed submanifold of the manifold \(M\) and \(f : (M,A) \to (M,A)\) is a map of pairs, then there are several Nielsen theories that furnish homotopy invariant lower bounds for the number of fixed points on certain subsets of \(M\): the relative Nielsen number [the second author, Pac. J. Math. 122, 459-473 (1986; Zbl 0553.55001)] which concerns fixed points on all of \(M\), the Nielsen number of the complement [\textit{X. Zhao}, Lect. Notes Math. 1411, 189-199 (1989; Zbl 0689.55008)] for fixed points on \(M - A\), and the Nielsen number of the closure [the second author, Topology Appl. 30, 253-266 (1988; Zbl 0664.55003)] which bounds the number of fixed points, for maps homotopic to \(f\), on the closure of \(M-A\). Realization theorems for these theories hold under hypotheses appropriate for each and the authors show that they have smooth analogues in the right setting. For that setting, \(M\) is a smooth manifold and \(A\) is a smooth submanifold such that the structures of \(A\) and \(M\) are compatible in a manner made precise in the paper and called there ``\(A\) neatly paired with \(M\)''. The main result is that if \(A\) is neatly paired with \(M\) and \(f : (M,A) \to (M,A)\) is a map with fixed point set \(\text{Fix}(f)\) finite, then there is a smooth map \(g\) homotopic to \(f\) such that \(\text{Fix} (g) = \text{Fix} (f)\). (Note that, in contrast to the theory of map extensions, the homotopy between \(f\) and \(g\) is permitted to modify the map on the submanifold.) The authors then show that the conclusions of the realization theorems for the three Nielsen theories listed above can be strengthened so that the realizing map is smooth provided that, in addition to the hypotheses of the continuous case, \(A\) and \(M\) are smooth manifolds such that \(A\) is neatly paired with \(M\).