Equations in free groups and coincidence of mappings on surfaces (Q5947776)

The paper is devoted to the Nielsen theory of coincidence points and the so-called roots. The main result states that given a continuous map \(f:S_h\to S_g\) of closed orientable surfaces with genus \(h\) and \(g\), respectively, and a constant map \(c:S_h\to S_g\), the pair \((f,c)\) has the Wecken property (that is \(f\) can be deformed to a continuous map \(f'\) such that the Nielsen coincidence number \(N(f,c)\) is equal to the number of coincidences between \(f'\) and \(c\), i.e. roots of the equation \(f'(x)=c\), \(x\in S_h)\) if and only if the absolute value of the topological degree \(|\deg(f) |\leq (2h-2+l) (2g-1)^{-1}\) where \(l\) is the index of the image \(f_\# (\pi_1(S_h))\) of \(\pi_1(S_h)\) in \(\pi_1(S_g)\). If \(S_g\) is the torus \(T\), then the mentioned result implies the necessary and sufficient conditions for the Wecken property of a pair of continuous maps \(f_1,f_2: S_h\to T\) stated in terms of the absolute value of the Lefschetz coincidence number. In the last part of the paper some quadratic equations in free groups closely related to the coincidence problems are considered.