Moving compacta in \(\mathbb{R}{}^ m\) apart (Q1187120)

For any maps \(f:X\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) and \(g:Y\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) define a map \(a_{f,g}:X\times Y\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) by \(a_{f,g}(x,y)=f(x)-g(y)\), for all \((x,y)\in X\times Y\). Suppose that \(X\) and \(Y\) are compacta such that (i) \(\Delta=2m-2-2\dim X-\dim Y\geq 0\); (ii) \(\dim Y\leq m-1\); and (iii) if \(\Delta=0\) then \(\dim Y\leq m-2\). Suppose also that the map \(a_{f,g}:X\times Y\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) admits an \(\varepsilon\)-close approximation \(A:X\times Y\to\mathbb{R}^ m\backslash\{0\}\). The main result of the paper asserts that, under the hypotheses above, there exist maps \(f':X\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) and \(g':Y\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) with disjoint images which are \(\tilde\varepsilon\)-close to \(f\) and \(g\), respectively, where \(\tilde\varepsilon=100^{\dim X\cdot\dim Y}\varepsilon\). If moreover \(\Delta>0\), then \(f'\) and \(g'\) can be taken so that \(a_{f',g'}\) is \(\tilde\varepsilon\)-homotopic to \(A\) in \(\mathbb{R}^ m\backslash\{0\}\). As a corollary, the authors obtain an alternative proof of a theorem due to \textit{A. N. Dranišnikov}, \textit{E. V. Ščepin} and the reviewer, presented at the 1989 Khabarovsk Symposium, to the effect that every two maps \(f:X\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) and \(g:Y\to\mathbb{R}^ m\) of compacta \(X\) and \(Y\) admit arbitrarily close approximations with disjoint images, provided that \(\dim X\times Y<m\) and \(2\dim X+\dim Y\leq 2m-2\) [On intersections of compacta in Euclidean space: The metastable case, Tsukuba J. Math., in print].