Homotopic properties of confluent maps in the proper category

We establish some properties of homotopical nature for confluent maps in the proper category. We analyze in this setting the characterization of tree-like continua by J.H. Case and R.E. Chamberlin as well as the theorem by T.B. McLean on the preservation of tree-likeness under confluent maps. We give counterexamples for the corresponding proper analogues and we extend results of several authors in classical continuum theory to non-compact spaces. Finally, we describe the behavior of these maps with respect to the fundamental pro-group, generalizing results of J. Grispolakis and other authors. Two questions of interest are still open (Open Question 15 and Conjecture 24).