The properties and applications of relative retracts (Q505832)

In this paper the author introduces the notion of \textit{relative retracts}. The notion is defined in the category of metrizable topological spaces and continuous maps. Let \(Z\) be a subspace of \(Y\) and let \(g:Z\to X\) be a continuous map. Then a space \(X\) is said to a \textit{retract} of \(Y\) \textit{relative to} \(g\), if there exists a continuous map \(r:Y\to X\), such that \(r\circ i = g\), where \(i:Z\hookrightarrow Y\) is the inclusion map of \(Z\) into \(Y\). Notice that if \(h:Z\to X\) is a homeomorphism and \(Z\subset Y\), then \(Z\) is a retract \(Y\) relative to \(h\) if it is a retract in the sense of \textit{K. Borsuk} as defined in his classical monograph [Theory of retracts. Monografie Matematyczne. 44. Warszawa: PWN - Polish Scientific Publishers (1967; Zbl 0153.52905)]. The notion is however more general and the author can also nicely handle other classes of fundamental retracts, in particular the class of multiretracts, which considers the case of retracts relative to multivalued mappings.