Topological degree of symmetric product maps on spheres (Q1310486)

Let \(M\) be a finite set and \(G\) a subgroup of the group of permutations on \(M\): The symmetric product \(\text{SP}^ M_ GS^ k\) is defined to be the orbit space of \(G\) on \((S^ k)^ M\). Call \(O(G)\) the set of all orbits of the \(G\)-action on \(M\). Choose a generator \(\eta \in H_ kS^ k\) and define, for \(d \in \mathbb{Z}^{O(G)}\), a homomorphism \(\widehat d : H_ k S^ k \to \bigoplus_{J \in O (G)}H_ kS^ k\) by \(\widehat d(\eta) : = (d(J) \eta)_{J \in O(G)}\). If \(f : S^ k \to \text{SP}^ M_ G S^ k\) is a symmetric product mapping then the degree of \(f\) is the unique function \(d : = \deg f\) such that the composition \[ H_ k S^ k@>f_ *>>H_ k \text{SP}^ M_ G S^ k @>p_{J_ *}>> \bigoplus_{J \in O(G)} H_ k \text{SP}^ M_{G(J)} S^ k @>\oplus\mu_ j>> \bigoplus_{J \in O(G)} H_ kS^ k \] equals \(\widehat d\). Here, \(\mu : H_ k \text{SP}^ M_ G S^ k \to H_ kS^ k\) is the homomorphism which is characterized by the formula \(\mu \circ q_ * = \sum_{j \in M} p_{j_ *}\), where \(p_ j : (S^ k)^ M \to S^ k\) is the projection onto the \(j\)-th factor, \(q\) is the projection from \((S^ k)^ M\) onto the orbit space \(\text{SP}^ M_ G S^ k\), and \(G(J)\) is the set of permutations of \(J\) which are restrictions of permutations from \(G\) to \(J\). The author's main result then states that symmetric product mappings of the same degree are homotopic, and: if \(G\) acts transitively on \(M\), if \(f_ i : S^ k \to S^ k\) for each \(i \in M\) and \(f = q \circ (f_ i)_{i \in M}\), then \(\deg f = \sum_{i \in M} \deg f_ i\).