A homotopy theorem for Oka theory (Q2205580)

The author proves a homotopy theorem for sheaves, which permits to shorten and simplify some proofs of Oka principles. Let \(X\) be a complex space and let \(A, B\subset X\). The pair \((A, B)\) is a \textit{\(C\)-pair} if \(A, B, A\cap B, A\cup B\) are Stein compacts, \(A\cap B\) is \(\mathcal O(B)\)-convex, and \(\overline{A\setminus B}\cap\overline{B\setminus A}=\emptyset\). Let \(\Phi\) be a sheaf of topological spaces on \(X\) and let \(A, B\subset X\) be compact. The pair \((A,B)\) is called \textit{weakly flexible} for \(\Phi\) if for any open neighborhoods \(U,V\) (resp. \(W\)) of \(A, B\) (resp. \(A\cap B\)) and a triple of maps \(a: \mathbb D\longrightarrow \Phi(U)\), \(b: \mathbb D\longrightarrow\Phi(V)\), \(c_s: \mathbb D\longrightarrow \Phi(W)\) (where \(\mathbb D\) stands for the closed unit ball in \(\mathbb R^n\)) such that \(c_0=r_W\circ a\), \(c_1 = r_W\circ b\), \(c_s|_{\partial\mathbb D}\) is independent of \(s\), there are smaller neighborhoods \(A\subset U' \subset U\), \(B\subset V'\subset V\) (resp. \(A\cap B\subset W'\subset W\)) and homotopies \(a_t: \mathbb D \longrightarrow \Phi(U')\), \(b_t: \mathbb D\longrightarrow \Phi(V')\), and \(c_{s,t}: \mathbb D\longrightarrow\Phi(W')\)) with \(a_0 = r_{U'}\circ a\), \(b_0= r_{V'}\circ b\), and \(c_{s,0}=r_{W'}\circ c_s\) such that (1) \(c_{0,t}=r_{W'}\circ a_t\), \(c_{1,t}=r_{W'}\circ b_t\), (2) \(a_t|_{\partial\mathbb D}\), \(b_t|_{\partial\mathbb D}\), \(c_{s,t}|_{\partial\mathbb D}\) are independent of \(t\), (3) \(c_{s,1}\) is independent of \(s\), (4) \(r_{A^\circ}\circ a_t\) is in a prescribed neighborhood of \(r_{A^\circ}\circ a_0:\mathbb D\longrightarrow\Phi(A^\circ)\) with respect to the compact open topology for all \(t\). If \((A, B)\) is a weakly flexible pair for \(\Phi\) such that the homotopy \(a_t\) can be chosen so that \(r_{A^\circ}\circ a_t=r_{A^\circ}\circ a_0\) for all \(t\), then \((A, B)\) is called an \textit{ordered flexible pair}. The main result is the following theorem. Let \(X\) be a second countable reduced Stein space and let \(\Phi\hookrightarrow \Psi\) be a local weak homotopy equivalence of sheaves of topological spaces on \(X\). Assume that one of the two following statements holds: (1) \(\Phi\) is complete metric and every point \(p\in X\) has a neighborhood \(U\) such that every \(C\)-pair \((A, B)\) with \(B\subset U\) is weakly flexible for \(\phi\). (2) Every point \(p\in X\) has a neighborhood \(U\) such that every \(C\)-pair \((A, B)\) with \(B\subset U\) is ordered flexible for \(\Phi\). Then \(\Phi(X)\neq\emptyset\) if and only if \(\Psi(X)\neq\emptyset\). Moreover, if \(\Psi\) is likewise in either of the two classes of sheaves, then \(\Phi\hookrightarrow\Psi\) is a weak homotopy equivalence.