Bounds for the higher topological complexity of configuration spaces of trees (Q6156416)

For any integer \(s\), the \(s\)th topological complexity \(\mathrm{TC}_s(X)\) of a space \(X\) can be described as the minimal integer \(n\) for which there exists a cover of \(X^s\) by \(n+1\) open subsets \(U_0, \dots, U_n\) such that the diagonal \(\Delta\colon X \to X^s\colon x \mapsto (x,\dots,x)\) admits a local homotopy section over each \(U_i\). This notion, due to Rudyak, extends Farber's notion of topological complexity \(\mathrm{TC}\); indeed \(\mathrm{TC}(X) = \mathrm{TC}_2(X)\). There is a theorem of \textit{S. Scheirer} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 18, No. 2, 839--876 (2018; Zbl 1393.55004)] which gives bounds for the usual (\(s=2\)) topological complexity of the configuration spaces of trees. Using slightly different methods, T.I. Hoekstra-Mendoza in the present paper generalizes Scheirer's results for any \(s \ge 2\). For a finite tree \(T\) and a positive integer \(n\), let \(\mathcal{C}^nT\) denote the configuration space of \(n\) ordered points on \(T\). Abrams' discrete model for \(\mathcal{C}^nT\) is the largest cubical subset \(\mathcal{D}^nT\) of \(T^n\) inside \(\mathcal{C}^nT\). As usual, the symmetric group \(\Sigma_n\) acts on the right of \(\mathcal{D}^nT\) by permuting factors. The quotient complex is denoted by \(U \mathcal{D}^nT\). The author proves that the higher topological complexity of \(U \mathcal{D}^nT\) is maximal for any tree \(T\) and many values of \(n\). One of the main results is that if \(n \ge 2 m + h_s(T)\), then \(\mathrm{TC}_s(U \mathcal{D}^n T) \ge sm\), and this inequality is sharp, where \(h_s(T)\) denotes the minimal integer such that there exist \(s\) sets of vertices satisfying some specific properties.