Nested defining sequences and 1 dimensionality of decomposition elements (Q2363288)

A nested defining sequence of an \(n\)-manifold \(M\) is a sequence \({\mathcal S} ={\mathcal M}_{1}, {\mathcal M}_{2}, \dots \) satisfying a disjointness criterion that each of the sets \({\mathcal M}_{i}\) is a locally finite collection of compact \(n\)-manifolds with pairwise empty interiors, a nestedness criterion that for each \(i\), each \(A \in {\mathcal M}_{i}\) has a unique predecessor Pre\(A\) in \({\mathcal M}_{i-1}\) that properly contains \(A\) and a boundary size criterion that for each index \(i\), each \(A \in {\mathcal M}_{i}\), and for each pair of distinct points \(x,y \;\in \partial A\) there is an integer \(s > i\) such that no element of \({\mathcal M}_{s}\) contains both \(x\) and \(y\). The decomposition \(G\) of \(M\) arising from the nested sequence \({\mathcal S}\) is given by the rule that \(x,y \in M\) belong to the same element of \(G\) if there exists a fixed integer \(k\), depending simply on \(x\) and \(y\) such that each \({\mathcal M}_{i}\) has a chain of at most \(k\) elements connecting \(x\) to \(y\). The main result of this paper is the following: Let \(M\) be a compact \(n\)-manifold, \(n \neq 4\), and \(G\) a cell-like upper semicontinuous decompostion of \(M\) arising from a nested defining sequence. Then for each \( \epsilon > 0\) the decomposition map \(\pi = M \rightarrow X = M/G\) can be \(\epsilon\)-approximated by a cell-like map \(F: M \rightarrow X\) such that each point pre-image \(F^{-1}(x)\), \(x \in X\), has dimension at most \(1\). The proof works in six steps, 1. Controlling the approximation, 2. Opening up along the seams which come at the boundaries of the elements of the \({\mathcal M}_{i}\), 3. Forming a new \(0\)-dimensional decomposition, 4. Repairing the severed seams, 5. Relating the new decomposition to the original one, and 6. Defining the new cell like map.