Meshed continua have unique second and third symmetric products (Q2352116)

For a metric continuum \(X\) let \(F_n (X)\) denote the hyperspace of nonempty subsets with at most \(n\) points of \(X\), endowed with the Hausdorff metric. For a continuum \(X\), let \(G(X)\) be the set of points in \(X\) having a neighborhood which is a finite graph. The continuum \(X\) is: (a) meshed, provided that \(G(X)\) is dense in \(X\) and \(X\) has a basis of neighborhoods \(B\) such that for each \(U\) in \(B\), \(U \cap G(X)\) is connected; (b) wired, provided that the set of elements \(p\) in \(X\), having an open neighborhood \(U\) in \(X\) such that the component of \(U\) having \(p\) is homeomorphic either to \([0,1]\), \([0,1)\), \((0,1)\) or a simple closed curve, is a dense subset of \(X\). Finite graphs and dendrites with closed set of end points are examples of meshed continua and meshed continua are wired continua. The continuum \(X\) has unique hyperspace \(F_n (X)\) provided that the following condition holds: if \(Y\) is a continuum and \(F_n (X)\) is homeomorphic to \(F_n (Y)\), then \(X\) is homeomorphic to \(Y\). Uniqueness of hyperspaces has a long history and has been studied by a number of authors, not only for the hyperspaces \(F_n (X)\), but for the other possible hyperspaces. \textit{R. Hernández-Gutiérrez} and \textit{V. Martínez-de-la-Vega} [Topology Appl. 160, No. 13, 1577--1587 (2013; Zbl 1286.54009)] proved that if \(n>3\) and \(X\) is a wired continuum, then \(X\) has unique hyperspace \(F_n (X)\). As it is very well known, their techniques do not work for the cases \(n=2\) and \(n=3\), so they left open the following question. Question. If \(X\) is a wired continuum, does \(X\) have unique hyperspaces \(F_2 (X)\) and \(F_3 (X)\)? The main result in the paper under review, is the following partial answer to this question. Theorem. If \(X\) is a meshed continuum, then \(X\) has unique hyperspace \(F_2 (X)\) and \(F_3 (X)\). Another partial answer to this question was given by the reviewer, [\textit{J. G. Anaya} et al., Commentat. Math. Univ. Carol. 54, No. 3, 397--406 (2013; Zbl 1289.54034)], for the case \(n=2\).