On the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of Peano continua (Q387217)

Recall that the Lusternik-Schnirelmann category of a topological space \(X\), cat\(\, X\), is the smallest integer \(k\) such that \(X = \cup_{i=0}^k A_i\) where each \(A_i\) is an open set contractible in \(X\). The \textit{general Lusternik-Schnirelmann} category of \(X\), cat\(_g\, X\) is the smallest integer \(k\), with \(X= \cup_{i=0}^k A_i\) and \(A_i\) contractible in \(X\). In this text the author gives a description of the properties of cat\(_g\, X\). In particular he proves the following theorems. Theorem 1: If \(X\) is a Peano continuum, then cup-length\((X)\leq\) cat\(_g\, X\leq\) dim\(\, X\). Theorem 2: If \(X\) is a compact metric ANR, then cat\(_g\, X=\) cat\(\, X\). Moreover with this new invariant the author gives simpler proofs for the Dranishnikov Theorem (for a finite CW complex \(X\), cat\(\, X \leq \frac{1}{2}\) dim\(\, X + \) dim\(\, B\pi_1(X)\)) and the Grossman-Whitehead theorem (for a \(k\)-connected complex \(X\), we have cat\(\, X\leq \frac{1}{k+1}\) dim\(\, X\)). The paper contains also the computation of the general LS category of some spaces like the Menger spaces or the Pontryagin surfaces.