Coincidence of maps from connected sums of closed surfaces into graphs (Q2659611)

This paper studies the coincidence problem (i.e., the possibility of annihilating the coincidences by way of homotopy deformations) for pairs of maps from a closed surface into a graph. The author considers maps which may be decomposed as two auxiliary maps, according to a decomposition of the surface as a connected sum. Let \(S^1\) denote the circle, and \(I\) denote the closed interval. The bouquet \(S^1\vee I\) will be denoted by \(\mathcal{W}\) and called the balloon graph. It is known that: \begin{itemize} \item[1.] A pair \((f,g)\) of maps from the 2-torus \(T^2\) into the balloon graph \(\mathcal{W}\) can be homotoped to be coincidence free if and only if the group \(\text{im}(f,g)_\#\) is cyclic, where \((f,g)_\#:\pi_1(T^2)\rightarrow\pi_1(\mathcal W\times\mathcal W)\cong\mathbb{Z}\oplus\mathbb{Z}\) is the induced homomorphism; \item[2.] Every pair of maps from the Klein bottle into the balloon graph can be homotoped to be coincidence free. \end{itemize} The attempt to extend these results for maps from closed surfaces of greater genus into a graph (not necessarily the balloon graph) encounters the difficulty of solving certain lifting problems (or certain equations in groups). This paper seeks to reduce the trouble via a process of decomposition of the surface into a connected sum of two surfaces of smaller genus. Let \(X =X_1\#X_2\) be the connected sum of two closed surfaces, and let \(\Sigma\subset X\) be the gluing circle of the connected sum. A map \(f:X\rightarrow Y\) is said to be \(\Sigma\)-null-homotopic if \(f(\Sigma)\) is null-homotopic in \(Y\). This turns out to be a necessary and sufficient condition under which a given map \(f:X\rightarrow Y\) induces maps \(f_1:X_1\rightarrow Y\) and \(f_2:X_2\rightarrow Y\), in such a way that each \(f_i\) coincides with \(f\), up to homotopy, in the portion of \(X_i\) which remains in the connected sum \(X=X_1\#X_2\). The author proves the main theorem that if \(f,g:X_1\#X_2\rightarrow Y\) are \(\Sigma\)-null-homotopic maps, so that \(f_1,g_1:X_1\rightarrow Y\) and \(f_2,g_2:X_2\rightarrow Y\) are defined, and if both \((f_1,g_1)\) and \((f_2,g_2)\) can be homotoped to be coincidence free, then \((f,g)\) can be homotoped to be coincidence free. It is shown that if the closed surface \(X\) is decomposed as a connected sum \(X=X_1\#X_2\) in which one of the parts is orientable, then every map from \(X\) into the balloon graph \(\mathcal W\) is \(\Sigma\)-null-homotopic. The author also shows that if \(f,g:\mathbb K\rightarrow\mathcal W\) are maps from a (orientable or non-orientable) closed surface \(\mathbb K\) of genus \(\geq1\) into \(\mathcal W\) so that the group \(\text{im}(f,g)_\#\) is cyclic, then the pair \((f,g)\) can be homotoped to be coincidence free. But it is shown that converses of the main theorem and the characterization theorems are not true.