We characterize maps between $n$-dimensional Nöbeling manifolds that can be approximated by homeomorphisms.

Let $f\colon X\to Y$ be a $\sigma$-perfect $k$-dimensional surjective map of metrizable spaces such that $\dim Y\leq m$. It is shown that for every positive integer $p$ with $ p\leq m+k+1$ there exists a dense $G_{\delta}$-subset ${\mathcal H}(k,m,p)$ of $C(X,\uin^{k+p})$ with the source limitation topology such that each fiber of $f\triangle g$, $g\in{\mathcal H}(k,m,p)$, contains at most $\max\{k+m-p+2,1\}$ points. This result provides a proof the following conjectures of S. Bogatyi, V. Fedorchuk and J. van Mill. Let $f\colon X\to Y$ be a $k$-dimensional map between compact metric spaces with $\dim Y\leq m$. Then: \begin{inparaenum}[\rm(1)] \item there exists a map $h\colon X\to\uin^{m+2k}$ such that $f\triangle h\colon X\to Y\times\uin^{m+2k}$ is 2-to-one provided $k\geq 1$; \item there exists a map $h\colon X\to\uin^{m+k+1}$ such that $f\triangle h\colon X\to Y\times\uin^{m+k+1}$ is $(k+1)$-to-one. \end{inparaenum}

We show that every compactum has cohomological dimension $1$ with respect to a finitely generated nilpotent group $G$ whenever it has cohomological dimension $1$ with respect to the abelianization of $G$. This is applied to the extension theory to obtain a cohomological dimension theory condition for a finite-dimensional compactum $X$ for extendability of every map from a closed subset of $X$ into a nilpotent $\CW$-complex $M$ with finitely generated homotopy groups over all of $X$.

Applying the Sullivan conjecture we construct compacta of certain cohomological and extensional dimensions.