On the uniqueness of the coincidence index on orientable differentiable manifolds (Q881465)

Given two maps \(f, g: X\to Y\), we say \(x\in X\) is a coincidence point of \(f\) and \(g\) if \(f(x)=g(x)\). This concept generalizes that of a fixed point, when \(X=Y\) and \(g\) is the identity map. Each isolated fixed point set has a well-defined fixed point index, that was shown in [\textit{M. Furi, M. P. Pera}, and \textit{M. Spadini}, Fixed Point Theory Appl. 2004, No. 4, 251--259 (2004; Zbl 1082.58008)] to be uniquely characterized by three axioms: homotopy invariance, additivity, and normalization in the set of differential manifolds. More axioms in the general setting can be found in [\textit{R. F. Brown}, The Lefschetz fixed point theorem, Glenview, Ill. etc.: Scott, Foresman and Company VI, 186 p. (1971; Zbl 0216.19601)]. The author of this paper gives an analogy of fixed point index axioms in case of coincidence index. Three axioms: homotopy invariance, additivity, and normalization, are also sufficient to uniquely characterize the coincidence index for maps between oriented differential manifolds of the same dimension. Moreover, the author shows that in the setting of self maps on a differential manifold, the normalization axiom \(\text{ind}(f,g, X)=L(f,g)\) can be weakened into \(\text{ind}(c, id, X)=1\), where \(c\) is a constant map. Furthermore, the orientation can be dropped.