Easier proofs of coloring theorems (Q1807552)

The author presents a simpler proof of the theorem [due to \textit{E. K. van Douwen}, \textit{J. M. Aarts}, \textit{R. J. Fokkink}, \textit{J. Vermeer}, and \textit{M. A. van Hartskamp}] that a fixed-point free homeomorphism on an \(n\)-dimensional paracompact space can be colored with \(n+3\) colors. Here, a coloring is defined as follows: If \(f:X\to X\) is a fixed-point free continuous function, then a coloring of \(f\) is a finite closed cover \({\mathcal U}\) of \(X\) such that \(U\cap f[U]=\emptyset\) for every \(U\in{\mathcal U}\). An example is given (in the topological countable sum of closed unit intervals) to show that for \(n>0\) the result does not follow for the more general case in which \(f\) is merely continuous.