Computing homotopy classes for diagrams (Q6050228)

The computation of homotopy invariants, such as the computation of the set of homotopy classes of maps, can generally be quite hard. From an algorithmic perspective, such computations are in most cases even undecidable, and they can be even harder in the equivariant setting. Building upon the previous works [\textit{M. Čadek} et al., SIAM J. Comput. 43, No. 5, 1728--1780 (2014; Zbl 1320.68099); Discrete Comput. Geom. 57, No. 4, 915--965 (2017; Zbl 1373.55018)], in the paper under review the authors present an algorithm to compute the set \([X,Y]_G^A\) of homotopy classes of \(G\)-equivariant maps from \(X\) to \(Y\) extending a given equivariant map \(A\to Y\). Here, \(X,Y\) and \(A\) denote finite simplicial sets equipped with the action of a finite group \(G\), and the algorithm is deduced under further assumptions on the dimension and connectivity of the fixed points subsets of \(X\) and \(Y\). Furthermore, if the dimension of \(X\) is fixed, the algorithm is shown to run in polynomial time. The main result of the paper was motivated by applications to the Tverberg-type problem, a generalization of the embeddability problem for simplicial complexes. In fact, Tverberg-type questions can be equivalently expressed in equivariant homotopic terms. The bridge with equivariant homotopy theory is provided by the Elmendorf's theorem [\textit{A. D. Elmendorf}, Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 277, 275--284 (1983; Zbl 0521.57027)], and it allows to focus on computing the homotopy classes of maps \([X,Y]^A\) (yielding the main result of the paper, Theorem~1.1). The proof uses tools from (equivariant) homotopy theory, such as obstruction theory and model categories, keeping an eye on the computational aspects.