Lefschetz periodic point free self-maps of compact manifolds (Q428810)

Let \(M\) be a connected compact manifold. The authors study Lefschetz periodic-point free maps, i.e., maps \(f:M\to M\) such that the Lefschetz number \(L(f^n)\) equals \(0\) for every \(n=1,2,3,\dots\). It is well known that periodic-point free maps are Lefschetz periodic-point free, but the converse is not true. Using a cohomological ring approach the authors revisit the characterization given earlier by \textit{J. L. García Guirao} and \textit{J. Libre} [Topology Appl. 158, No. 16, 2165--2169 (2011; Zbl 1243.37022)], and provide a more detailed description of the family of maps in question for \(M\in\{\mathbb{S}^n,\mathbb{S}^p\times\mathbb{S}^q,\mathbb{C}P^n,\mathbb{H}P^n\}\). These results are generalized to the so-called rational exterior spaces. In addition, the authors provide the following characterization: a self-map of a compact connected manifold is Lefschetz periodic-point free if and only if there are no essential eigenvalues of \(f\). Finally, the authors show that for a given \(r\), a Lefschetz periodic-point free map on a compact connected and simply-connected manifold of dimension at least \(3\) is homotopic to a map with no \(k\)-periodic points for all \(k\leq r\). To obtain this last result the authors use a formula of \textit{J. Jezierski} for the minimum number of fixed points in a given homotopy class [Topology Appl. 153, No. 11, 1825--1837 (2006; Zbl 1094.55005)].