Combinatorial necklace splitting.
In order to compute the Nielsen number N(f) of a self-map f: X → X, some Reidemeister classes in the fundamental group need to be distinguished. In this paper some algebraic results are given which allow distinguishing Reidemeister classes and hence computing the Reidemeister number of some maps. Examples of computations are presented.
Our point of departure is J. Neisendorfer's localization theorem which reveals a subtle connection between some simply connected finite complexes and their connected covers. We show that even though the connected covers do not forget that they came from a finite complex their homotopy-theoretic properties are drastically different from those of finite complexes. For instance, connected covers of finite complexes may have uncountable genus or nontrivial SNT sets, their Lusternik-Schnirelmann category...
We define Peano covering maps and prove basic properties analogous to classical covers. Their domain is always locally path-connected but the range may be an arbitrary topological space. One of characterizations of Peano covering maps is via the uniqueness of homotopy lifting property for all locally path-connected spaces. Regular Peano covering maps over path-connected spaces are shown to be identical with generalized regular covering maps introduced by Fischer and Zastrow....