Some fixed point theorems for tree-like continua (Q2219275)

Denote by \(I=[0,1]\), and let \(X=\underleftarrow{\lim}([0,1],f_i)\), where \(f_i\colon I\to 2^I\) are surjective, upper semi-continuous, set-valued functions for every \(i\geq 1\). This paper gives conditions which guarantee that \(X\) has the fixed-point property. Recall that \(X\) is said to have the \textit{fixed-point property} if every continuous function \(f\colon X\to X\) has a fixed point. It is still not known whether every planar tree-like continuum has the fixed point property. A continuum \(X\) is said to be \textit{tree-like} if for every \(\varepsilon>0\) there is a tree \(T\) and a continuous function \(g\colon X\to T\) such that \(\textrm{diam}(g^{-1}(t))<\varepsilon\) for all \(t\in T\). The first main result of the paper proves that if \(X=\underleftarrow{\lim}(I,f_i)\) is tree-like, and for every \(i\geq 1\), the \textit{graph} \(G(f_i)=\{(x,y)\in I^2: y\in f_i(x)\}\) is a tree, the set \(S_i=\{s: f_i(s) \text{ is nondegenerate}\}\) is finite, and \(f_i^{-1}(t)\) has finitely many components for every \(t\in I\), then \(X\) has the fixed point property. The second main result proves that if for every \(i\geq 1\), the \textit{partial graph} \(G_{i+1}=\{(x_1,\ldots,x_{n+1})\in I^{n+1}: x_i\in f_{i}(x_{i+1}), 1\leq i\leq n\}\) is a \textit{dendrite} (a locally connected continuum with no simple closed curves), and the graph \(G(f_i^{-1})\) contains the graph of an interval-valued set-valued function, then \(X\) is a tree-like continuum with the fixed point property. A set-valued function \(F\colon I\to 2^I\) is said to be \textit{interval-valued} if \(F(x)\) is an interval (can be degenerate) for every \(x\in I\). The main tool used in the proofs is the fact that an inverse limit on absolute neighbourhood retracts with \textit{universal} bonding maps (a continuous function \(f\colon X\to Y\) is universal if for every \(g\colon X\to Y\) there is \(x\in X\) such that \(f(x)=g(x)\)) has the fixed-point property, [\textit{W. Holsztynski}, Bull. Acad. Pol. Sci. 15 433--438 (1967; Zbl 0156.43603)].