Computing o-minimal topological invariants using differential topology

Abstract

Abstract. We work in an o-minimal expansion of a real closed field. Using piecewise smoothness of definable functions we define the topological degree for definable continuous functions. Using this notion of the degree we obtain a new proof for the existence of torsion points in a definably compact group, and also a new proof of an o-minimal analogue of the Brouwer fixed point theorem.