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Connected components of spaces of Morse functions with fixed critical points

Let $M$ be a smooth closed orientable surface and $F=F_{p,q,r}$ be the space of Morse functions on $M$ having exactly $p$ critical points of local minima, $q\ge1$ saddle critical points, and $r$ critical points of local maxima, moreover all the points are fixed. Let $F_f$ be the connected component of a function $f\in F$ in $F$. By means of the winding number introduced by Reinhart (1960), a surjection $π_0(F)\to{\mathbb Z}^{p+r-1}$ is constructed. In particular, $|π_0(F)|=\infty$, and the Dehn twist about the boundary of any disk containing exactly two critical points, exactly one of which is a saddle point, does not preserve $F_f$. Let $\mathscr D$ be the group of orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of $M$ leaving fixed the critical points, ${\mathscr D}^0$ be the connected component of ${\rm id}_M$ in $\mathscr D$, and ${\mathscr D}_f\subset{\mathscr D}$ the set of diffeomorphisms preserving $F_f$. Let ${\mathscr H}_f$ be the subgroup of ${\mathscr D}_f$ generated by ${\mathscr D}^0$ and all diffeomorphisms $h\in{\mathscr D}$ which preserve some functions $f_1\in F_f$, and let ${\mathscr H}_f^{\rm abs}$ be its subgroup generated ${\mathscr D}^0$ and the Dehn twists about the components of level curves of functions $f_1\in F_f$. We prove that ${\mathscr H}_f^{\rm abs}\subsetneq{\mathscr D}_f$ if $q\ge2$, and construct an epimorphism ${\mathscr D}_f/{\mathscr H}_f^{\rm abs}\to{\mathbb Z}_2^{q-1}$, by means of the winding number. A finite polyhedral complex $K=K_{p,q,r}$ associated to the space $F$ is defined. An epimorphism $μ:π_1(K)\to{\mathscr D}_f/{\mathscr H}_f$ and finite generating sets for the groups ${\mathscr D}_f/{\mathscr D}^0$ and ${\mathscr D}_f/{\mathscr H}_f$ in terms of the 2-skeleton of the complex $K$ are constructed.