The size of multiple points of maps between manifolds (with an appendix by Stepan Orevkov) (Q2800410)

Let \(M\) be a closed manifold and \(N\) an arbitrary manifold of the same dimension. A point \(x\in M\) is said to be dominating for a continuous map \(f:M\to N\) if no other point in \(M\) is mapped to \(f(x)\). Denote the homotopy class of \(f\) by \([f]\). The author proves the following result. If the absolute degree of \(f\) is 1 then there is a map \(g\in[f]\) such that the set of non-dominating points of \(g\) is not dense in \(M\). On the other hand, if the absolute degree of \(f\) is different from 1 then for any \(g\in[f]\) the set of non-dominating points is dense in \(M\). (Since the manifolds are not assumed to be orientable, one has to use the absolute degree, cf. [\textit{D. B. A. Epstein}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc. (3) 16, 369--383 (1966; Zbl 0148.43103)]). In the appendix Stepan Orevkov exhibits a map \(f:S^2\to\mathbb{R}^2\) such that the set of dominating points is dense but does not contain a non-empty open set.