Certain numbers on the groups of self-homotopy equivalences (Q2512649)

For a connected space \(X\), let \([X,X]\) denote the set of all based homotopy classes of self-maps of \(X\), and let \(\mathcal{E}(X)\) be the group of self-homotopy equivalences in \([X,X]\). Let \(A^k_{\#}(X)\) be the subset of \([X,X]\) consisting of all homotopy classes of self maps which induce an automorphism of \(\pi_i(X)\) for any \(0\leq i\leq k\). It is easy to see that \(\mathcal{E}(X)\subset A^k_{\#}(X)\subset [X,X]\) for any \(k\geq 0\), and that \(\mathcal{E}(X)=A_{\#}(X):=A_{\#}^{\infty}(X)\) if \(X\) is a connected CW complex. Let \(N\mathcal{E}(X)\) denote the self-closeness number given by \[ N\mathcal{E}(X)=\min \{k:A^k_{\#}(X)=\mathcal{E}(X) \mathrm{ for }k\geq 0\}. \] In this paper, the authors study the basic properties of \(A^k_{\#}(X)\) and consider the condition that \(A_{\#}^k(X)=\mathcal{E}(X)\). Moreover, they determine the number \(N\mathcal{E}(X)\) for various spaces.