Noncoincidence index of manifolds (Q762798)

In an attempt to describe the number of fixed point free selfmaps of a topological manifold M, and inspired by the work of \textit{E. Fadell} and \textit{L. Neuwirth} on configuration spaces and braid groups [Math. Scand. 10, 111-118 (1962; Zbl 0136.441)] the author introduces the non- coincidence index {\#} M of the manifold M. He defines it as follows: If M admits k fixed point free selfmaps, no pair of which has a coincidence, then {\#} \(M\geq k+1\). If {\#} \(M\geq i\) for all i, then {\#} M\(=\infty\), otherwise {\#} M is the greatest number i with {\#} \(M\geq i\). With the help of pathfields he quickly obtains some sufficient conditions for a compact manifold M so that {\#} M\(=\infty\), and then uses Lefschetz fixed point theory and a detailed calculation of all endomorphisms of \(H^*(F(1^ k, );{\mathbb{Q}})\) to find {\#} F(1\({}^ k,n)\) for all flag manifolds \(F(1^ k,n)=U(n+k)/H\), where H is conjugate to \(U(1)^ k\times U(n)\). He has previously shown [Indiana Univ. Math. J. 33, 249- 255 (1984; Zbl 0506.55003)] that {\#} F(1\({}^ k,0)=k!\), and now obtains that if \(k=2\) and \(n\geq 2\) is even, then {\#}F(1\({}^ k,n)=\infty\), and otherwise {\#} F(1\({}^ k,n)=2k!\) if kn is odd and {\#} F(1\({}^ k,n)=k!\) if kn is even.