Generalized Alexandroff-Urysohn squares and a characterization of the fixed point property (Q960834)

The interest of this paper is in ``product'' spaces having the fixed point property. Let \(X\) be a nondegenerate Hausdorff continuum. In analogy with a construction on the set \([0,1]^2\) as defined by \textit{P. Alexandroff} and \textit{P. Urysohn} in [Mémoire sur les espaces topologiques compacts dédié à Monsieur D.~Egoroff. Verhandelingen Amsterdam 14, Nr.~1, 93 S (1929; JFM 55.0960.02)], the authors define a certain topology on \(X\times X\). The space so-constructed is denoted \(X\times_\triangle X\), its topology is designated the AU-topology, and \(X\times_\triangle X\) is called the AU square of \(X\). This space is compact, connected, Hausdorff and non-metrizable. The authors obtain: Theorem 1. The continuum \(X\) has the fixed point property if and only if the AU square of \(X\) has the fixed point property. When \(X\) and \(Y\) are different Hausdorff continua, then it is still possible to define an AU-topology for \(X\times Y\) provided that there is a surjective map \(g:Y\to X\). This is done in Section 2 where the product is referred to as the AU(\(g\)) product of \(X\) and \(Y\) and is denoted \(X\times_g Y\). Certain subspaces \(Y_n\) of \(X\times_g Y\), \(n\in\mathbb{N}\), (see Lemma 2) are selected in a relatively random manner. One then has the next result. Theorem 2. Let \(X\times_g Y\) be the AU(\(g\)) product of continua \(X\) and \(Y\) and let \((Y_n)\) denote the sequence of subspaces of \(X\times_g Y\) as defined in Lemma 2. Then \(X\times_g Y\) has the fixed point property if and only if each \(Y_n\) has the fixed point property. Let us also quote a corollary. Corollary 1. Let \(I\times_g I\) be the AU(\(g\)) square of \(I=[0,1]\). Then \(I\times_g I\) has the fixed point property if and only if \(g\) is monotone.