A remark on fixed point sets of gradient-like flows

Abstract

Let $S$ be a set of critical points of a smooth real-valued function on a closed manifold $M$. Generalizing a well-known result of Lusternik--Schnirelmann, Reeken~[R] proved that $\cat S \geq \cat M$. Here we prove a generalization of Reeken"s inequality for gradient-like flows on compact spaces.