Separation, retractions and homotopy extension in semialgebraic spaces (Q799747)

Let M be an affine semialgebraic space over a real closed field R [cf. the authors, Math. Z. 178, 175-213 (1981; Zbl 0447.14003)]. The central result in this paper says that every closed semialgebraic subset A of M has an open semialgebraic neighbourhood U in M such that A is a (semialgebraic) strong deformation retract of both U and of the closure \(\bar U\) of U in M. If A is locally complete then U may be chosen as the mapping cylinder of a retraction \(r:\bar U\backslash U\to A.\) By use of this theorem it is shown that (M,A) has the homotopy extension property, and that Tietze's extension theorem holds in M. - The proof of the main result is based on the fact that the pair (M,A) can be triangulated [cf. the authors, J. Reine Angew. Math. 335, 122-163 (1981; Zbl 0484.14006)]. If M is a finite (not necessarily complete) simplicial complex over R and A is a closed subcomplex of M, then U may be chosen as the star neighbourhood of A in the second barycentric subdivision of M. In this case a strong deformation retraction \(\phi:\bar U\times [0,1]\to\bar U\) is given by an explicit formula. It restricts to a strong deformation retraction \(U\times [0,1]\to U\) from U to A.