A relative Nielsen number (Q802166)

A relative Nielsen number N(f;X,A) for a selfmap f: (X,A)\(\to (X,A)\) of a pair of spaces is introduced which shares such properties with the Nielsen number N(f) as homotopy invariance and homotopy type invariance. As \(N(f;X,A)\geq N(f)=N(f;X,\emptyset),\) the relative Nielsen number is in the case \(A\neq \emptyset\) a better lower bound than N(f) for the minimum number MF[f;X,A] of fixed points of all maps in the homotopy class of f. Conditions for a compact polyhedral pair (X,A) are given which ensure that the relative Nielsen number is in fact the best possible lower bound, i.e. that \(N(f;X,A)=MF[f;X,A]\). If \(A=\emptyset\) or \(A=X\), then these conditions reduce to those of \textit{B. Jiang} [Am. J. Math. 102, 749-763 (1980; Zbl 0455.55001)], but in general it is also necessary to assume that every path in X which joins two points in X-A can be homotoped away from A. These conditions are, e.g., satisfied if X is a manifold of dimension \(\geq 3\) and A its boundary.