The Wecken property for random maps on surfaces with boundary (Q694660)

Given a self-map \(f: X\to X\), the Nielsen number \(N(f)\) of \(f\) gives a lower bound for the number of fixed points of the self-maps in the homotopy class of \(f\). It was Wecken who proved that given any self-map \(f\) on a manifold of dimension not equal to \(2\), there must be a self-map \(g\) in the homotopy class of \(f\) such that \(g\) has exactly \(N(f)\) fixed points. Thus, a self-map \(f\) is said to be Wecken if there is a self-map \(g\) homotopic to \(f\) having \(N(f)\) fixed points. From \textit{B. Jiang}'s example in [Invent. Math. 75, 69--74 (1984; Zbl 0565.55005)], we know that self-maps on surfaces are not always Wecken. The authors of the paper under review give a different but interesting approach to consider the Wecken property for self-maps on surfaces: they consider the probability of finding self-maps with the Wecken property on surfaces. By using \textit{J. Wagner}'s algorithms [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 351, No.1, 41-62 (1999; Zbl 0910.55001)] and related arguments, the authors obtain some sufficient conditions to guarantee that a self-map on a surface with boundary is Wecken. Hence, they are able to estimate the desired probability from below. Some experimental computation results are illustrated, saying mainly that the probability of Wecken self-maps is non-zero. That is: the ``amount'' of self-maps on a surface with boundary having the Wecken property is not small.