Minimal finite models (Q847539)

Following \textit{M. C. McCord} [Duke Math. J. 33, 465--474 (1966; Zbl 0142.21503)], any finite simplicial complex has the weak homotopy type of a finite topological space and conversely every finite topological space can be associated with a finite simplicial complex with the same weak homotopy type. In the same paper, McCord also exhibited a finite topological space with \(2n+2\) points weakly equivalent to the \(n\)-dimensional sphere. The authors prove in this paper that any finite space having the same weak homotopy type as the \(n\)-dimensional sphere has at least \(2n+2\) points (this fact was conjectured by J.P. May), and that McCord's example is actually the unique space with \(2n+2\) points having this property. Similar results are obtained for finite graphs. The reason for investigating finite models with the same weak homotopy type, instead of the same homotopy type, is that as soon as a space is \(T_1\), connected and non-contractible, it does not have the homotopy type of any finite space.