This paper introduces a homology theory for links in I-bundles over an orientable surface. The theory is unique in that the elements of the chain groups are surfaces instead of diagrams. It is then shown this theory yields the same results as the homology theory constructed by Asaeda, Przytycki and Sikora.
In the present note we describe geometrically the homology classes in the total space of a surface bundle over a surface in terms of the holonomy map. We treat the cases where the base surface is closed or has one boundary component. We replace the wrong theorem of the previous version by some observations on the homology of surface bundles and explain why our previous strategy failed.
Given a torus bundle $Y$ over the circle and a cohomology class $[ω]\in H^2(Y;\mathbb{Z})$ which evaluates nontrivially on the fiber, we compute the Heegaard Floer homology of $Y$ with twisted coefficients in the universal Novikov ring.
This note corrects an erroneous statement in Lemma 3.8 of the author's paper Embedded Contact Homology and Seiberg-Witten Floer Homology IV which was published in Volume 14 of Geometry and Topology in 2009.
Let $M$ be a once-punctured torus bundle over $S^1$ with monodromy $h$. We show that, under certain hypotheses on $h$, "most" Dehn-fillings of $M$ (in some cases all but finitely many) are virtually $\mathbb{Z}$-representable. We apply our results to show that surgeries on the figure-eight knot with even numerator are virtually $\mathbb{Z}$-representable.
M. Kontsevich constructed universal characteristic classes of smooth bundles with fiber a framed odd-dimensional integral homology sphere. In dimension 3, they are known to give a universal finite type invariants of homology 3-spheres. However, they have not been well understood for higher fiber dimensions. The purpose of the present paper is twofold. First, we obtain a bordism invariant of smooth unframed bundles with fiber a 5-dimensional homology sphere, which is defined as a sum of the simplest Kontsevich class and the second signature defect. It may be in some sense a higher dimensional a…
We construct an infinite family of homology theories of framed links in thickened surfaces, as well as a homology theory whose graded Euler characteristic is exactly the Kauffman bracket of the link in the surface. Both theories are based on ideas coming from Asaeda, Przytycki and Sikora's categorification of the Kauffman bracket skein module of I-bundles over surfaces. This is accomplished by borrowing ideas from Bar-Natan's Khovanov homology theory for tangles and cobordisms and using embedded surfaces to generate the chain groups, instead of diagrams.
In this paper we introduce a representation of a embedded knotted (sometimes Lagrangian) tori in $\BR^4$ called a hypercube diagram, i.e., a 4-dimensional cube diagram. We prove the existence of hypercube homology that is invariant under 4-dimensional cube diagram moves, a homology that is based on knot Floer homology. We provide examples of hypercube diagrams and hypercube homology, including using the new invariant to distinguish (up to cube moves) two "Hopf linked" tori. We also give examples of a "Trefoil" torus and an immersed knotted torus that is an amalgamation of the $5_2$ knot and a …
Let X be a simply-connected closed oriented 4-manifold and A an embedded surface of genus g and negative self-intersection -N. We show that for fixed genus g there is an upper bound on N if the homology class of A is divisible or characteristic. In particular, for genus zero, there is a lower bound on the self-intersection of embedded spheres in these kinds of homology classes. This question is related to a problem from the Kirby list.
We generalize the construction of the Heegaard Floer homology for a singular knot to that for a balanced bipartite graph. For a given graph, we provide a combinatorial description of the Euler characteristic of its Heegaard Floer homology by using the "Kauffman states" on a graph diagram.
We define additional gradings on two generalisations of Khovanov homology (one due to the first author, the other due to the second), and use them to define invariants of various kinds of embeddings. These include invariants of links in thickened surfaces and of surfaces embedded in thickened $3$-manifolds. In particular, the invariants of embedded surfaces are expressed in terms of certain diagrams related to the thickened $3$-manifold, so that we refer to them as picture-valued invariants. This paper contains the first instance of such invariants for $2$-dimensional objects. The additional g…
This paper is the sequel to "The equivalence of Heegaard Floer homology and embedded contact homology via open book decompositions I" and is devoted to proving some of the technical parts of the HF=ECH isomorphism.
This article is a survey on the authors' proof of the isomorphism between Heegaard Floer homology and embedded contact homology appeared in This article is a survey on the authors' proof of the isomorphism between Heegaard Floer homology and embedded contact homology appeared in arXiv:1208.1074, arXiv:1208.1077 and arXiv:1208.1526.
To each connected component in the space of semisimple representations from the orbifold fundamental group of the base orbifold of a Seifert fibered homology 3-sphere into the Lie group U(2,1), we associate a real number called the "orbifold Toledo invariant." For each such orbifold, there exists an elliptic surface over it, called a Dolgachev surface. Using the theory of Higgs bundles on these Dolgachev surfaces, we explicitly compute all values taken on by the orbifold Toledo invariant.
We summarize recent work on a combinatorial knot invariant called knot contact homology. We also discuss the origins of this invariant in symplectic topology, via holomorphic curves and a conormal bundle naturally associated to the knot.
Given an open book decomposition (S,h) adapted to a closed, oriented 3-manifold M, we define a chain map from a certain Heegaard Floer chain complex associated to (S,h) to a certain embedded contact homology chain complex associated to (S,h), as defined in arXiv:1008.2734, and prove that it induces an isomorphism on the level of homology. This implies the isomorphism between the hat version of Heegaard Floer homology of -M and the hat version of embedded contact homology of M.
We prove the additivity of the Casson-Seiberg-Witten invariant of integral homology $S^1 \times S^3$ under fiber sum along embedded curves and embedded tori, which is the $4$-dimensional analogue of the additivity of the Casson invariant under connected-sum and splicing along knots.
In this paper we prove the existence of rational homology balls smoothly embedded in regular neighborhoods of certain linear chains of smooth $2$-spheres by using techniques from minimal model program for 3-dimensional complex algebraic variety.
Given a closed oriented 3-manifold M, we establish an isomorphism between the Heegaard Floer homology group HF^+(-M) and the embedded contact homology group ECH(M). Starting from an open book decomposition (S,h) of M, we construct a chain map Φ^+ from a Heegaard Floer chain complex associated to (S,h) to an embedded contact homology chain complex for a contact form supported by (S,h). The chain map Φ^+ commutes up to homotopy with the U-maps defined on both sides and reduces to the quasi-isomorphism Φfrom "The equivalence of Heegaard Floer homology and embedded contact homology I, II" on subco…
The decorated hypercube found in the construction of Khovanov homology for links is an example of a Boolean lattice equipped with a presheaf of modules. One can place this in a wider setting as an example of a coloured poset, that is to say a poset with a unique maximal element equipped with a presheaf of modules. In this paper we initiate the study of a bundle theory for coloured posets, producing for a certain class of base posets a Leray-Serre type spectral sequence. We then show how this theory finds application in Khovanov homology by producing a new spectral sequence converging to the Kh…
This is the first of five papers that construct an isomorphism between the embedded contact homology and Seiberg-Witten Floer cohomology of a compact 3-manifold with a given contact 1-form. This paper describes what is involved in the construction.
The papers math.QA/0403527 and math.QA/0409414 v.1 are now merged together. The final version is available at math.QA/0409414 v.2. To avoid duplication of papers, math.QA/0403527 is now removed.
We prove that there are rational homology balls $B_p$ smoothly embedded in the $2$-handlebodies associated to certain knots. Furthermore we show that, if we rationally blow up the $2$-handlebody along the embedded rational homology ball $B_p$, then the resulting $4$-manifold cannot be obtained just by a sequence of ordinary blow ups from the $2$-handlebody under a certain mild condition.
We obtain representations of the f-based Mapping Class Group of oriented punctured surfaces from an action of mapping classes on Heisenberg homologies of a circle bundle over surface configurations.
This article introduces descriptive cellular homology on cell complexes, which is an extension of J.H.C. Whitehead's CW topology. A main result is that a descriptive cellular complex is a topology on fibres in a fibre bundle. An application of two forms of cellular homology is given in terms of the persistence of shapes in CW spaces.
The embedded contact homology (ECH) of a 3-manifold with a contact form is a variant of Eliashberg-Givental-Hofer's symplectic field theory, which counts certain embedded J-holomorphic curves in the symplectization. We show that the ECH of T^3 is computed by a combinatorial chain complex which is generated by labeled convex polygons in the plane with vertices at lattice points, and whose differential involves `rounding corners'. We compute the homology of this combinatorial chain complex. The answer agrees with the Ozsvath--Szabo Floer homology HF^+(T^3).
We prove that group homology of the diffeomorphism group of $\#^g S^n \times S^n$ as a discrete group is independent of $g$ in a range, provided that $n>2$. This answers the high dimensional version of a question posed by Morita about surface diffeomorphism groups made discrete. The stable homology is isomorphic to the homology of a certain infinite loop space related to the Haefliger's classifying space of foliations. One geometric consequence of this description of the stable homology is a splitting theorem that implies certain classes called generalized Mumford-Morita-Miller classes can be …
Asaeda, Przytycki and Sikora defined a generalization of Khovanov homology for links in $I$-bundles over compact surfaces. We prove that for a link $L\subset (-1,1)\times T^2$, the Asaeda-Przytycki-Sikora homology of $L$ has rank $2$ with $\mathbb{Z}/2$-coefficients if and only if $L$ is isotopic to an embedded knot in $\{0\}\times T^2$.
For an integral homology 3-sphere embedded asymptotically flatly in an Euclidean space, we find a natural framing extending the standard trivialization on the asymptotically flat part.
We apply the techniques of totally twisted Khovanov homology to the constructions by M. Asaeda, J. Przytycki, and A. Sikora of Khovanov type homologies for links and tangles in I-bundles over (orientable) surfaces. As a result we describe an invariant chain complex built out of resolutions with only non-contractible circles. We use these to understand the δ-graded homology for links with alternating projection to the surface.
We study the topology of exact and Stein fillings of the canonical contact structure on the unit cotangent bundle of a closed surface $Σ_g$, where $g$ is at least 2. In particular, we prove a uniqueness theorem asserting that any Stein filling must be s-cobordant rel boundary to the disk cotangent bundle of $Σ_g$. For exact fillings, we show that the rational homology agrees with that of the disk cotangent bundle, and that the integral homology takes on finitely many possible values: for example, if $g-1$ is square-free, then any exact filling has the same integral homology and intersection fo…
Khovanov defined graded homology groups for links L in R^3 and showed that their polynomial Euler characteristic is the Jones polynomial of L. Khovanov's construction does not extend in a straightforward way to links in I-bundles M over surfaces F not D^2 (except for the homology with Z/2 coefficients only). Hence, the goal of this paper is to provide a nontrivial generalization of his method leading to homology invariants of links in M with arbitrary rings of coefficients. After proving the invariance of our homology groups under Reidemeister moves, we show that the polynomial Euler character…
Given a transverse knot $K$ in a three dimensional contact manifold $(Y,α)$, in [13] Colin, Ghiggini, Honda and Hutchings define a hat version of embedded contact homology for $K$, that we call $\widehat{ECK}(K,Y,α)$, and conjecture that it is isomorphic to the knot Floer homology $\widehat{HFK}(K,Y)$. We define here a full version $ECK(K,Y,α)$ and generalise the definitions to the case of links. We prove then that, if $Y = S^3$, $ECK$ and $\widehat{ECK}$ categorify the (multivariable) Alexander polynomial of knots and links, obtaining expressions analogue to that for knot and link Floer homol…
An estimate for the genus function in circle bundles over irreducible 3-manifolds is proven. This estimate is in many cases an equality and it relates the minimal genus of the surfaces representing a given homology class with the self-intersection of the class and the Thurston norm of the underlying 3-manifold.
A strategy for constructing an embedded sphere in a 4-manifold realizing a given homology class which has been successfully applied in the past is to represent the class as a first step stably by an embedded sphere, i.e. after adding products of 2-spheres, and to move that sphere back into the original manifold. In this paper, we study under what conditions the first step of this approach can be carried out if the 4-manifold at hand is not simply connected. One of our main results is that there are - apart from the well known Arf invariant - additional bordism theoretical obstructions to stabl…
We make use of link Floer homology to study cobordisms between links embedded in 4-dimensional ribbon homology cobordisms. Combining results of Daemi--Lidman--Vela-Vick--Wong and Zemke, we show that ribbon homology concordances induce split injections on $\mathcal{HFL}^-$. We also make use of the torsion submodule of $\text{HFL}^-$ to give restrictions on the number of critical points in ribbon homology concordances.
Khovanov homology, an invariant of links in $\mathbb{R}^3$, is a graded homology theory that categorifies the Jones polynomial in the sense that the graded Euler characteristic of the homology is the Jones polynomial. Asaeda, Przytycki and Sikora generalized this construction by defining a double graded homology theory that categorifies the Kauffman bracket skein module of links in $I$-bundles over surfaces, except for the surface $\mathbb{R}P^2$, where the construction fails due to strange behaviour of links when projected to the non-orientable surface $\mathbb{R}P^2$. This paper categorifies…
We introduce Khovanov homology for ribbon graphs and show that the Khovanov homology of a certain ribbon graph embedded on the Turaev surface of a link is isomorphic to the Khovanov homology of the link (after a grading shift). We also present a spanning quasi-tree model for the Khovanov homology of a ribbon graph.
We prove that if an integer homology three-sphere contains an embedded incompressible torus, then its fundamental group admits irreducible SU(2)-representations. Our methods use instanton Floer homology, and in particular the surgery exact triangle, holonomy perturbations, and a non-vanishing result due to Kronheimer-Mrowka, as well as results about surgeries on cables due to Gordon.
In an $n$-manifold $X$ each element of $H_{n-1}(X; \mathbb{Z}_2)$ can be represented by an embedded codimension-1 submanifold. Hence for any two such submanifolds there is a third one that represents the sum of their homology classes. We construct such a representative explicitly. We describe the analogous construction for codimension-2 co-oriented submanifolds, and examine the special case of oriented and/or co-oriented submanifolds. We also give a lower bound for the number of connected components of the intersection of two oriented codimension-1 submanifolds in terms of the homology classes…
We compute the Heegaard Floer homology of any rational homology 3-sphere with an open book decomposition of the form (T,ϕ), where T is a genus one surface with one boundary component. In addition, we compute the Heegaard Floer homology of any T^2-bundle over S^1 with first Betti number equal to one, and we compare our results with those of Lebow on the embedded contact homology of such torus bundles. We use these computations to place restrictions on Stein-filllings of the contact structures compatible with such open books, to narrow down somewhat the class of 3-braid knots with finite concord…
Let Y be a closed oriented 3-manifold with a contact form such that all Reeb orbits are nondegenerate. The embedded contact homology (ECH) index associates an integer to each relative 2-dimensional homology class of surfaces whose boundary is the difference between two unions of Reeb orbits. This integer determines the relative grading on ECH; the ECH differential counts holomorphic curves in the symplectization of Y whose relative homology classes have ECH index 1. A known index inequality implies that such curves are (mostly) embedded and satisfy some additional constraints. In this paper we…
In this paper, we prove homological stability of symplectomorphisms and extended hamiltonians of surfaces made discrete. We construct an isomorphism from the stable homology group of symplectomorphisms and extended Hamiltonians of surfaces to the homology of certain infinite loop spaces. We use these infinite loop spaces to study characteristic classes of surface bundles whose holonomy groups are area preserving, in particular we give a homotopy theoretic proof of the Kotschick-Morita theorem.
Khovanov homology offers a nontrivial generalization of Jones polynomial of links in R^3 (and of Kauffman bracket skein module of some 3-manifolds). In this chapter (Chapter X) we define Khovanov homology of links in R^3 and generalize the construction into links in an I-bundle over a surface. We use Viro's approach to construction of Khovanov homology and utilize the fact that one works with unoriented diagrams (unoriented framed links) in which case there is a simple description of Khovanov long exact sequence of homology. Khovanov homology, over the field Q, is a categorification of the Jon…
We answer a question posed by Morita concerning the non-triviality of certain secondary characteristic classes for surface bundles. In doing so we are naturally led to show that a form of Harer stability holds for surface diffeomorphism groups in homology of small degree.
Let E be a circle bundle over a Riemann surface that supports a contact structure transverse to the fibers. This paper presents a combinatorial definition of a differential graded algebra (DGA) that is an invariant of Legendrian knots in E. The invariant generalizes Chekanov's combinatorial DGA invariant of Legendrian knots in the standard contact 3-space using ideas from Eliashberg, Givental, and Hofer's contact homology. The main difficulty lies in dealing with what are ostensibly 1-parameter families of generators for the DGA; these are solved using ``Morse-Bott'' techniques. As an applicat…
This is the second of five papers that construct an isomorphism between the Seiberg-Witten Floer homology and the Heegaard Floer homology of a given compact, oriented 3-manifold. The isomorphism is given as a composition of three isomorphisms; the first of these relates a version of embedded contact homology on an an auxillary manifold to the Heegaard Floer homology on the original. This paper describes this auxilliary manifold, its geometry, and the relationship between the generators of the embedded contact homology chain complex and those of the Heegaard Floer chain complex. The pseudoholom…
The conormal Lagrangian $L_K$ of a knot $K$ in $\mathbb{R}^3$ is the submanifold of the cotangent bundle $T^* \mathbb{R}^3$ consisting of covectors along $K$ that annihilate tangent vectors to $K$. By intersecting with the unit cotangent bundle $S^* \mathbb{R}^3$, one obtains the unit conormal $Λ_K$, and the Legendrian contact homology of $Λ_K$ is a knot invariant of $K$, known as knot contact homology. We define a version of string topology for strings in $\mathbb{R}^3 \cup L_K$ and prove that this is isomorphic in degree 0 to knot contact homology. The string topology perspective gives a top…
Embedded contact knot homology (ECK) is a variation on Embedded contact homology (ECH), defined with respect to an open book decomposition compatible with a contact structure on some 3-manifold, M. The knot in question is given by the (null-homologous) binding of the open book and the chain complex is defined in terms of closed orbits of the Reeb vector field and certain pseudoholomorphic curves in the symplectization of the knot complement. In this thesis we first generalize this construction to the case of rational open book decompositions, allowing us to define ECK for rationally null-homol…