Configuration-like spaces and coincidences of maps on orbits (Q2431285)

Let \(G\) be a finite group and \(X\) a \(G\)-space (all spaces are assumed to be paracompact). For a continuous map \(f:X\to Y\) denote by \(A(f,k)\) the set of all \(x\in X\) such that \(f(g_1x)=\cdots=f(g_kx)\) for distinct \(g_1,\dots,g_k\) and by \(A'(f,k)\) the set of all \(x\in A(f,k)\) such that \(f(gx)\leq c\) where \(c\) is the common value of \(f(g_1x)=\cdots=f(g_kx)\). Assume in addition that \(G\) acts on \(X\) without \(G\)-fixed points. The fixed point free genus \(g_G(X)\) is defined as the least number \(n\) such that \(X\) can be \(G\)-equivariantly mapped to the \(n\)-fold join \(D_G\star\cdots\star D_G\) where \(D_G\) denotes the disjoint union of all orbits \(G/H\) where \(G\) is a proper subgroup of \(G\). The authors prove the following theorem: Let \(m\) be a natural number and let \(2\leq k\leq|G|=:q\) and assume that \(G\) acts without \(G\)-fixed points on \(X\). Let \(g_G(X)\leq(|G|-1)(m-1)+k-1\). If \(f:X\to\mathbb{R}\) and \(h:X\to\mathbb{R}^{m-1}\) are maps then \(g_G(A(f\oplus h),k))\geq g_G(A'(f,k)\cap A(h,q))\geq g_G(X)-(|G|-1)(m-1)-k+1\). Moreover, the authors establish upper and lower bounds on the fixed point free genus of certain configuration-like spaces the definition of which is too involved to be given here.