On the capacity and depth of compact surfaces (Q777235)

The notion of capacity and depth of a compact metric space is one of the known invariants of shape and homotopy theory. This concept was introduced by \textit{K. Borsuk} in [Russ. Math. Surv. 34, No. 6, 24--26 (1979; Zbl 0453.55010)] and it was studied during the decades when shape theory was the primary interest of many (geometric) topologists. The capacity $\mathcal{C}(X)$ of a compact metric space $X$ is the cardinality of the set of all different shape types dominated by the shape type of $X$. The depth $\mathcal{D}(X)$ of $X$ is the supremum of the set of lengths of all regressive chains of compacta ordered by the relation ``to be shape dominated by'' having $X$ for its maximum. In this paper the capacity and depth of orientable and non-orientable compact surfaces are given. The authors show that the capacity and depth of a compact orientable surface of genus \(g\) is equal to $g+2$ and of a compact non-orientable surface of genus $g$ is equal to $\lbrack \frac{g}{2}\rbrack+ 2$. In order to obtain this result the authors first compute the capacity of the wedge of $n$ 2-tori and the wedge consisting of $n$ projective planes and then they apply the classification theorem for compact surfaces.