Geometric and Homotopy Theoretic Methods Innielsen Coincidence Theory

In classical fixed point and coincidence theory, the notion of Nielsen numbers has proved to be extremely fruitful. Here we extend it to pairs ( f1, f2) of maps between manifolds of arbitrary dimensions. This leads to estimates of the minimum numbers MCC( f1, f2) (and MC( f1, f2), resp.) of path components (and of points, resp.) in the coincidence sets of those pairs of maps which are ( f1, f2). Furthermore we deduce finiteness conditions for MC( f1, f2). As an application, we compute both minimum numbers explicitly in four concrete geometric sample situations. The Nielsen decomposition of a coincidence set is induced by the decomposition of a certain path space E( f1, f2) into path components. Its higher-dimensional topology captures further crucial geometric coincidence data. An analoguous approach can be used to define also Nielsen numbers of certain link maps.