Conley index of isolated equilibria (Q446234)

If \(f:X\to\mathbb{R}\) is a \(C^1\)-function on a Banach space \(X\), and if \(x_0\) is an isolated critical point with \(f(x_0)=c\), then it has been proved in [the reviewer, \textit{K.-C. Chang} and \textit{Z.-Q. Wang}, Math. Z. 233, No. 4, 655--677 (2000; Zbl 0946.35023)] that \(x_0\) is a mountain pass point if, and only if, the first critical group \(H_1(f^c,f^c\setminus\{x_0\})\neq0\). The author extends this result to an isolated equilibrium of a semiflow \(\pi\) on \(X\) which is gradient-like with respect to \(f\). Here \(f\) needs only be continuous. The first critical group is replaced by the homology group \(H_1(h(\{x_0\}))\) of the homotopy Conley index \(h(\{x_0\})\). If \(\pi\) comes from an autonomous semilinear parabolic partial differential equation then it is proved that \(h(\{x_0\})=\Sigma^1\). It is also proved that the zero'th homology of the Conley index characterizes stability.