Fixed points of boundary-preserving maps of punctured discs (Q1815335)

By a classical theorem of F. Wecken, the Nielsen number \(N(f)\) of a self-map \(f:M\to M\) on a compact manifold \(M\) with or without boundary of dimension \(\dim M\geq 3\) can be realized by a map \(g\) homotopic to \(f\); i.e. \(N(f)= MF[f]= \min\{\# \text{Fix} g \mid g\sim f\}\). The minimal number \(MF_\partial [f]\) is defined analogously for boundary-preserving maps \(f:(M, \partial M) \to(M, \partial M)\), by replacing the classical Nielsen number by the relative Nielsen number \(N_\partial (f)\) as defined by \textit{H. Schirmer} [Pac. J. Math. 122, 459-473 (1986; Zbl 0553.55001)]. \(M\) is called boundary-Wecken if \(N_\partial (f)= MF_\partial [f]\) for all maps \(f:(M, \partial M) \to(M, \partial M)\), and totally non-boundary-Wecken if there does not exist a bound \(B\) such that \(MF_\partial [f]-N_\partial (f)\leq B\) for all \(f\). Schirmer's results imply that manifolds of dimension \(\dim M\geq 4\) are boundary-Wecken. It was shown by \textit{R. F. Brown} and \textit{B. J. Sanderson} [ibid. 158, No. 2, 243-264 (1993; Zbl 0786.57005)] that \(M\) is boundary-Wecken if \(\dim M=2\) and the Euler characteristic \(\chi (M)\geq 0\). Most surfaces with negative Euler characteristic are totally non-boundary-Wecken. For \(\Delta_2\) (the 2-dimensional disk with two open disks removed) it was shown that \(MF_\partial [f]-N_\partial (f) \leq 1\). In this paper, the boundary-Wecken property is further investigated for boundary-preserving maps on \(\Delta_n=2\)-disk with \(n\) open disks removed. A map \(f:(\Delta_n, \partial \Delta_n) \to(\Delta_n, \partial \Delta_n)\) is called boundary-inessential if \(f\) is null-homotopic on each boundary component. For \(n\geq 2\), the author shows that \(N_\partial (f)= MF_\partial [f]\) if either \(f\) is boundary-inessential or the image of \(\partial \Delta_n\) under \(f\) intersects each boundary component. If \(f\) is not boundary-inessential, a condition is given under which \(MF_\partial [f]- N_\partial (f)\leq 1\). Finally, the author constructs a family of maps which show that \(\Delta_n\) is totally non-boundary-Wecken for \(n\geq 3\), thereby disproving a conjecture of R. F. Brown and B. J. Sanderson.