Finiteness results in \(n\)-homotopy theory (Q675094)

This paper deals with three problems. Simply stated they are the following: (A) Does every homotopy idempotent of a finite polyhedron split through a finite polyhedron? (B) Does every compactum that is shape dominated by a finite polyhedron have the same shape as a finite polyhedron? (C) Does every \(Q\)-manifold (satisfying certain necessary homotopy-theoretic conditions) have a polyhedral boundary? Each problem has an affirmative answer if and only if a certain algebraic invariant vanishes. In each case the algebraic invariant is based on Wall's obstruction. For each \(n\) there is an \(n\)-homotopy version of each of the above questions: (A\(_n\)), (B\(_n\)), and (C\(_n\)). The main result of this paper is that the \(n\)-homotopy questions all have affirmative answers. The methods developed in this paper have valuable applications to Menger manifolds. In fact (C\(_n\)) is solved by characterizing those \(\mu^{n+1}\)-manifolds which have polyhedral boundaries. The results and techniques should have further applications.