Rigidity of the second symmetric product of the pseudo-arc (Q2400883)

For a metric continuum \(X\) let \(F_n (X)\) denote the \textit{nth-symmetric product}, i.e. the hyperspace of nonempty subsets of \(X\) with at most \(n\) points, with the Vietoris topology. The continuum \(X\) has \textit{rigid hyperspace} \(F_n (X)\) if for each homeomorphism \(G: F_n (X) \to F_n (X)\) we have \(G(F_1 (X)) = F_1(X)\). The \textit{degree of homogeneity} of the continuum \(X\) is the number of orbits of the action of the group of homeomorphisms of \(X\) onto itself. Let \(P\) denote the pseudo-arc. \textit{D. P. Bellamy} and \textit{J. M. Lysko} [Topol. Proc. 8, No. 1, 21--27 (1983; Zbl 0542.54031)] proved that every autohomeomorphism of \(P \times P\) is of the form either \(h = h_0 \times h_1 \) or \(i \circ ( h_0 \times h_1 )\), where \(h_0 , h_1 :P \to P\) are homeomorphisms and \(i(p,q) = (q,p)\) for all \(p,q \in P\). \textit{M. E. Chacón-Tirado} et al. [Colloq. Math. 128, No. 1, 7--14 (2012; Zbl 1275.54019)] extended this result to embedings of \(P \times P\) to itself. In this paper the authors prove a similar theorem for the second symmetric product of the pseudo-arc: Let \(E : F_2 (P) \to F_2 (P)\) be an embedding. Then there exists an embedding \(e : P \to P\) such that \(E(\{x,y\}) = \{e(x), e(y)\}\) for all \(\{x,y\} \in F_2 (P)\). In particular, if \(G : F_2 (P) \to F_2 (P)\) is a homeomorphism, then there exists a homeomorphism \(h : P \to P\) such that \(G(\{p,q\}) = \{h(p), h(q)\}\) for all \(\{p,q\} \in F_2 (P)\). Next the authors prove that the pseudo-arc \(P\) has rigid second symmetric product \(F_2 (P)\) and the degree of homogeneity of \(F_2 (P)\) is exactly 3.