Measurable versions of the LS category on laminations (Q2449866)

The classical LS-category of a topological space \(X\) is the minimum number of open contractible subsets of \(X\) needed to cover it. There are many variations of this invariant; in particular, a tangential version for foliations using open sets which are leafwise contractible to transversals, cf. \textit{H. Colman} and \textit{E. Macias-Virgós} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 65, No. 3, 745--756 (2002; Zbl 1012.55001)]. Here the author considers two versions of the above-defined invariant for measurable laminations. That is, there is a leaf topology, but the ambient space topology is replaced by a weaker ambient measurable structure. Several classical properties of the two new tangencial LS-categories are proved, like homotopy invariance, existence of appropriate cohomological lower bound by the cup length, a dimensional upper bound, see \textit{W. Singhof} and \textit{E. Vogt} [Topology 42, No. 3, 603--627 (2003; Zbl 1026.55004)], and also an upper bound given by the critical points of a smooth function. Possible applications to variational problems via measurable Hilbert laminations are sketched.