On the two definitions of the Conley index

Abstract

The two definitions of the homotopy equivalences between Conley index spaces of an isolated invariant set, the original one of Conley [C] as completed by the author in [K1] and the more recent definition of Salamon [S], are shown to define the same homotopy classes without reference to the difficult proof of [K1] showing the Conley index to be a connected simple system. The equivalences of the original definition are useful in describing certain geometric situations in terms of the index; examples are given.