On the forcing relation for surface homeomorphisms (Q1374859)

In [Ukr. Mat. Zh. 16, 61-71 (1964; Zbl 0122.17504)], \textit{A. N. Sharkovskij} proved that the existence of a single periodic orbit for a continuous map of an interval forces the existence of (in general infinitely) many others. More recently, the study of an analogous forcing relation for periodic orbits of surface homeomorphisms has been initiated by \textit{T. Matsuoka} [Invent. Math. 70, 319-340 (1983; Zbl 0538.34025)] and \textit{P. L. Boyland} [Topology Appl. 58, No. 3, 223-298 (1994; Zbl 0810.54031)]. For an orientation-preserving homeomorphism \(f\) of a surface \(S\) and a periodic orbit \(P\), the braid type of the pair \((f,P)\) is an invariant which captures the dynamics of \(f\) up to isotopy relative to \(P\) and up to conjugacy. Braid type and a natural partial order on the set of braid types called the ``forcing relation'' were described by P. L. Boyland in the survey paper above mentioned, and explicit studies of braid types in special cases were given, among others, by \textit{T. Hall} [Nonlinearity 7, No. 3, 861-924 (1994; Zbl 0806.58015)]. In the present paper, the author studies primarily the case where the surface is a 2-dimensional disc \(D\). In the main results, some of the general properties of the forcing relation are described and the existence of an effective criterion for deciding when one given braid type forces another is stated. It should be remarked, however, that the definition of a braid type given in the present paper is different from the one given in the above references. Moreover, the proofs are difficult to follow and to verify in detail. It seems that more work is needed to clarify the many potentially very interesting ideas put forward in this paper.