Empty components in strong shape theory (Q1187122)

The strong shape components of the (metric) compactum \(X\) are the morphisms in strong shape theory from a singleton set to \(X\). If \(X\) is embedded as a \(Z\)-set in the Hilbert cube \(Q\), we may regard the set of strong shape components of \(X\) as the set of proper homotopy classes \(\{[\beta]|\beta: [0,1)\to Q-X\) is a proper ray\}. A proper ray \(\beta\) in \(Q-X\) is said to approach the point \(x\in X\) if \(\beta\) extends to a map \(\beta'\) of \([0,1]\) into \(Q\) such that \(\beta'(1)=x\). The strong shape component \([\beta]\) of \(X\) is said to be empty if there exists no point \(x\in X\) such that \([\beta]\) contains a proper ray approaching \(x\). This paper is about the existence of empty strong shape components in \(X\) or in compacta shape equivalent to \(X\). For example, if \(\Sigma\) is the dyadic solenoid, then every compactum shape equivalent to \(\Sigma\) has no empty strong shape components. On the other hand, every compactum shape equivalent to the wedge of a circle and \(\Sigma\) has uncountably many empty strong shape components. These examples follow from the main results of the paper, where there are defined two shape invariant properties called virtual pointed 1-movability and virtual 1-stability and where it is proved that any compactum which is not virtually pointed 1-movable has uncountably many empty strong shape components and any compactum which is virtually 1-stable and whose fundamental pro-group has more than one end has no empty strong shape components. (Some extensions of this last result are also obtained for the one-ended case.) It follows from these results that while a homotopy equivalence induces a bijection on the nonempty strong shape components, a strong shape equivalence need not.