Homotopy type of planar Peano continua (Q2232720)

The classic Whitehead Theorem, see [\textit{J. H. C. Whitehead}, Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 55, 213--245 (1949; Zbl 0040.38704); ibid. 55, 453--496 (1949; Zbl 0040.38801)], says that two aspherical CW-complexes are homotopy equivalent exactly when they have isomorphic fundamental groups. While Whitehead's original result applied only to CW complexes, all of which have nice local topology, his result has been extended in certain instances to spaces with more complicated local topology. \textit{K. Eda} showed, for example, in [Fundam. Math. 209, No. 1, 27--42 (2010; Zbl 1201.55002)], that the Whitehead Theorem holds for all 1-dimensional Peano continua. The main result of this paper is the following. \textbf{Theorem 1.1.} \textit{The homotopy equivalence class of a continuous map from a Peano continuum into a planar or 1-dimensional Peano continuum is determined by the induced map on fundamental groups.} As a consequence of Theorem 1.1, the author is then able to prove another Whitehead theorem: \textbf{Theorem 1.2.} \textit{Let \(X\) and \(Y\) be planar or 1-dimensional Peano continua. The fundamental groups of \(X\) and \(Y\) are isomorphic if and only if \(X\) and \(Y\) are homotopy equivalent.} Also, as an immediate corollary to Theorem 1.1, it follows that planar and 1-dimensional sets are aspherical. To prove these results the author defines and uses the notion of an \emph{oscillatory geodesic}. The careful development of this concept occupies most of one entire section of the paper. Note that \textit{J. W. Cannon} et al. [Topology Appl. 120, No. 1--2, 23--45 (2002; Zbl 0993.54031)] used the idea of a \textit{total oscillation function} on the space of paths to show that planar sets are aspherical.