Homotopy groups of PL-embedding spaces

Abstract

Let N be a compact PL-n-manifold, and let M be a PLm-manifold without boundary. Two of the major problems in PL-topology are to determine conditions such that (1) any continuous map of N into M can be homotoped to a PLembedding, and (2) two homotopic PL-embeddings are PLisotopic. In this paper, we investigate the higher homotopy groups of