The end of a conjecture of A. H. Stone (Q1064573)

By a chain \({\mathcal K}\) in a normal, locally connected, connected space X, we mean a finite collection of closed and connected sets of X that can be so ordered \({\mathcal K}=\{K_ 1,...,K_ n\}\) so that \(K_ i\cap K_ j\neq 0\) if and only if \(| i-j| \leq 1\). A circular chain in X is a collection of subcontinua K such that if \(K\in {\mathcal K}\), \({\mathcal K}\setminus \{K\}\) is a chain in X. Let \(n>2\) be an integer and let S(n) denote the statement: S(n)-X is multicoherent if and only if X can be represented as the union of a circular chain containing exactly n members. \textit{A. H. Stone} announced S(3) [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 65, 427- 447 (1949; Zbl 0034.397)] and stated that he was able to establish S(n) for \(n>2\), only under very strong hypotheses. We showed by example, that S(7) was false [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 71, 305-308 (1978; Zbl 0388.54026)] and recently the second author established S(4) [ibid. 80, 177-180 (1980; Zbl 0447.54050)]. We give as an example a multicoherent, locally connected, connected metric which cannot be represented as the union of a circular chain with five members. Thus S(5) is false and this is the ''end'' of this conjecture.