Une nouvelle preuve du théorème de point fixe de Handel

Abstract

M Handel has proved in [Topology 38 (1999) 235–264] a fixed point theorem for an orientation preserving homeomorphism of the open unit disk, that may be extended to the closed disk and that satisfies a linking property of orbits. We give here a new proof of Handel’s fixed point theorem, based on Brouwer theory and some plane topology arguments. We will slightly improve the theorem by proving the existence of a simple closed curve of index $1$. This index result was known to be true under an additional hypothesis and has been used by different authors (J Franks [NYJM 2 (1996) 1–19, Trans.AMS 348 (1996) 2637–2662] S Matsumoto [Topol. Appl. 104 (2000) 191–214]) to study homeomorphisms of surfaces.