Abstract sectional category in model structures on topological spaces (Q906499)

The (normalized) \textit{sectional category} of a map \(p:E\rightarrow B\), denoted \(\mathbf{secat}(p),\) is defined as the least nonnegative integer \(n\) such that \(B\) admits a cover by \(n+1\) open subsets, on each of which \(p\) has a local homotopy section. Sectional category generalizes \textit{Lusternik-Schnirelmann category} (L.-S. category, for short) of a pointed space \(X\), \(\mathbf{cat}(X),\) as one can check that \(\mathbf{cat}(X)\) is the sectional category of the inclusion map of the base point \(*\rightarrow X.\) Another important particular case of sectional category is the \textit{topological complexity} of a space, \(\mathbf{TC}(X),\) since this invariant may be defined as the sectional category of the diagonal map \(\Delta :X\rightarrow X\times X.\) All these numerical homotopy invariants have been extended to an abstract setting. It was first \textit{J.-P. Doeraene} in [J. Pure Appl. Algebra 84, No. 3, 215--261 (1993; Zbl 0777.55007)] who developed the notion of \(J\)-category (which includes a pointed proper model category satisfying the cube axiom) in order to study L.-S. category from an axiomatic homotopy perspective. Later on, F. J. Díaz, J. M. García Calcines, P. R. García Díaz, A. Murillo Mas and J. Remedios Gómez [\textit{F. J. Díaz} et al., Bull. Belg. Math. Soc. - Simon Stevin 19, No. 3, 485--506 (2012; Zbl 1259.55009)] continued this study developing the abstract sectional category and abstract topological complexity in a \(J\)-category. In the paper under consideration the authors analyze and compare two different notions of abstract sectional category in the category \(\mathcal{T}\) of topological spaces (unpointed and pointed) when one considers Quillen's and Strøm's proper model category, by means of its mixed model structure. The main result in this paper is the following: { Theorem}. Let \(f:X\rightarrow Y\) be a map between spaces of the homotopy type of locally compact CW-complexes. Then \(\text{secat}^{\mathcal{T}_S}(f)=\text{secat}^{\mathcal{T}_Q}(f),\) where \(\text{secat}^{\mathcal{T}_S}(-)\) and \(\text{secat}^{\mathcal{T}_Q}(-)\) denote the abstract sectional categories derived from the Strøm and Quillen model structure on \(\mathcal{T}\), respectively. In the free setting with \(Y\) normal, any of these invariants yields \(\mathbf{secat}(f).\) As a consequence the authors prove that these common invariants have a simplicial description. Actually they have the identity \(\mathbf{secat}(f)=\text{secat}^{\mathcal{SS}et}(\text{Sing}(f)),\) where the right hand side of the equality denotes the abstract sectional category in the model category of simplicial sets, applied to Sing\((f)\). Finally, specializing to abstract L.-S. category and topological complexity the authors obtain similar equalities.