Convenient maps from one-relator model two-complexes into the real projective plane (Q1741789)

For a map $f:S_1\to S_2$ between two closed surfaces an old result of Kneser tells that $\mathrm{degree}(f)=0$ is equivalent to the fact that \(f\) can be deformed to a non surjective map. The paper under review is a contribution to the project which consists in understanding this question when the domain is replaced by a two-dimensional complex. Very little is known about this problem and some of the contributions are recent. The author describes in the introduction the state of art of this problem, including some result of higher dimensions. The main contribution of the paper is a result when the target is the projective plane, namely: \par Theorem. Let $K$ be a finite and connected two-complex with just one two-cell and let $f:K \to \mathbb{R}P^ 2$ be a map. If the twisted integer cohomology group $H^ 2(K; {}_{f^{\rho}_{\#}}\mathbb Z)=0$, then $f$ is homotopic to a non-surjective map. \par Here $H^ 2(K; {}_{f^{\rho}_{\#}}\mathbb Z)$ means cohomology with local coefficients induced by the map $f$ of the orientation local coefficients over the projective plane. The author makes use of cohomology with non trivial local coefficients and Reidemeister-Fox derivatives to handle a suitable obstruction theory for maps from a two-dimensional complex. The result suggests many other questions the answers to which are not known.