On the topological complexity of maps (Q2140617)

The topological complexity, \(TC(X)\), of a space \(X\) is a homotopy invariant introduced by \textit{M. Farber} [Discrete Comput. Geom. 29, No. 2, 211--221 (2003; Zbl 1038.68130)]. It coincides with the sectional LS-category of the path fibration \(X^I\to X\times X\) and methods of LS-category theory are in general utilized for its study. LS category has a notion for maps, which is a homotopy invariant and has the LS-categories of the domain and the codomain as upper bounds. In this paper, the author defines and studies a notion of topological complexity for maps, which is a homotopy invariant and verifies \(TC(fg)\leq\mathrm{Min}(TC(f),TC(g))\) when the composition \(fg\) is defined. This notion is then used for the study of homomorphisms of discrete groups, via the classifying functor. In particular, the author investigates in more detail the cases of homomorphisms between free groups or abelian free groups. Finally, the author compares his notion of \(TC(f)\) with similar notions that have been introduced recently in [\textit{R. Short}, Topology Appl. 248, 7--23 (2018; Zbl 1403.55002); \textit{P. Pavešić}, Homology Homotopy Appl. 21, No. 2, 107--130 (2019; Zbl 1426.55004); \textit{A. Murillo} and \textit{J. Wu}, J. Topol. Anal. 13, No. 1, 219--238 (2021; Zbl 1471.55004)].