On the o-minimal LS-category

Abstract

We introduce the o-minimal LS-category of definable sets in o-minimal expansions of ordered fields and we establish a relation with the semialgebraic and the classical one. We also study the o-minimal LS-category of definable groups. Along the way, we show that two definably connected definably compact definable groups G and H are definable homotopy equivalent if and only if L(G) and L(H) are homotopy equivalent, where L is the functor which associates to each definable group its corresponding Lie group via Pillay's conjecture.