Rigid sets in \(E^ n\) (Q1071351)

The subspace X of \(E^ n\) is said to be rigid if the only homeomorphism of X onto itself that extends to a homeomorphism of \(E^ n\) onto itself is the identity. Here the author describes a technique for constructing many rigid embeddings in \(E^ n\), \(n\geq 4\). Specifically, if \(n\geq 4\) and X is a compactum in \(S^{n-1}\) with no isolated points, then there are uncountably many inequivalent embeddings of X in \(E^ n\) each of which is rigid. The construction involves building uncountably many inequivalently embedded rigid Cantor sets modeled on the wild Cantor sets of \textit{W. A. Blankinship} [Ann. Math., II. Ser. 53, 276-297 (1951; Zbl 0042.176)] and then constructing embedded copies of X containing appropriately chosen copies of these Cantor sets.