On the Borsuk conjecture concerning homotopy domination (Q2012172)

A topological space \(X\) is homotopy dominated by a space \(Y\), written \(X\leq_h Y\) if there are maps \(f:X\to Y,\;g:Y\to X\) such that \(g\circ f \simeq id_X\). If both \(X\leq_h Y\) and \(Y\leq_h X\) then \(X\) and \(Y\) are said to be \textit{h-equal}, cf. [\textit{K. Borsuk}, Theory of retracts. Warszawa: PWN - Polish Scientific Publishers (1967; Zbl 0153.52905)]. Homotopy equivalent spaces are \(h\)-equal. Borsuk posed the question if \(h\)-equal, compact ANR spaces are homotopy equivalent. A negative answer was given in [\textit{T. E. Stewart}, Nederl. Akad. Wet., Proc., Ser. A 61, 460--462 (1958; Zbl 0083.17603)]. From the authors' abstract: ``The current paper approaches this question in two ways. On one end, we provide conditions on the fundamental group which guarantee a positive answer to Borsuk's question. On the other end, we construct various examples of compact \(h\)-equal, not homotopy equivalent continua, with distinct properties. The first class of these examples has the property that all known algebraic invariants (such as homology, homotopy groups etc.) are trivial. The second class is given by \(n\)-connected continua, for any \(n\), which are infinite CW-complexes, and hence ANR's, on the complement of a point.''