Integer-valued fixed point index for compositions of acyclic maps (Q998025)

Using the technique of chain approximations the authors define a fixed point index for compositions of \(\mathbb{Z}\)-acyclic (with respect to Čech cohomology) multivalued maps on compact ANR spaces. It is known how to do this in case of compositions of \(\mathbb{F}\)-acyclic maps when \(\mathbb{F}\) is a field or for \(\mathbb{Z}\)-acyclic maps on finite-dimensional ANR-spaces. The chain approximation technique, however, does not work in the case of \(\mathbb{Z}\)-acyclic maps if one uses Čech homology. The authors resolve this difficulty by exploiting a relation between Čech cohomology and Steenrod-Sitnikov homology (with integer coefficients in both cases). The index is shown to have the expected properties (including commutativity and normalization). This is a well written and highly interesting article.