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.
We discuss generic smooth maps from smooth manifolds to smooth surfaces, which we call "Morse 2-functions", and homotopies between such maps. The two central issues are to keep the fibers connected, in which case the Morse 2-function is "fiber-connected", and to avoid local extrema over 1-dimensional submanifolds of the range, in which case the Morse 2-function is "indefinite". This is foundational work for the long-range goal of defining smooth invariants from Morse 2-functions using tools analogous to classical Morse homology and Cerf theory.
We classify the path-components of the space of circle-valued Morse functions on compact surfaces: two Morse functions $f, g: M\to S^1$ belong to same path-component of this space if and only if they are homotopic and have equal numbers of critical points at each index.
Let a finitely generated group $G$ split as a graph of groups. If edge groups are undistorted and do not contribute to the Morse boundary $\partial_MG$, we show that every connected component of $\partial_MG$ with at least two points originates from the Morse boundary of a vertex group. Under stronger assumptions on the edge groups (such as wideness in the sense of Druţu-Sapir), we show that Morse boundaries of vertex groups are topologically embedded in $\partial_MG$.
The Morse-Novikov number MN(L) of a smooth link L in the three-dimensional sphere is by definition the minimal possible number of critical points of a regular circle-valued Morse function on the link complement (the term regular means that the Morse function must have nice behaviour in a tubular neighbourhood of L). Novikov homology provides lower bounds for MN(L). In the present paper we introduce the notion of twisted Novikov homology, which allows to obtain better lower bounds for MN(L) than the usual Novikov homology. Our twisted Novikov homology is a module over the Novikov ring Z((t)) bu…
A Morse 2-function is a generic smooth map from a smooth manifold to a surface. In the absence of definite folds (in which case we say that the Morse 2-function is indefinite), these are natural generalizations of broken (Lefschetz) fibrations. We prove existence and uniqueness results for indefinite Morse 2-functions mapping to arbitrary compact, oriented surfaces. "Uniqueness" means there is a set of moves which are sufficient to go between two homotopic indefinite Morse 2-functions while remaining indefinite throughout. We extend the existence and uniqueness results to indefinite, Morse 2-f…
A knot is an a-small knot if its exterior does not contain closed incompressible surfaces disjoint from some incompressible Seifert surface for the knot. Using circular thin position for knots we prove that the handle number is additive under the connected sum of two a-small knots. As a consequence the Morse-Novikov number turns out to be additive under the connected sum of two a-small knots.
The paper is devoted to the study of topological properties, structure and classification of Morse flows with fixed points on the boundary of three-dimensional manifolds. We construct a complete topological invariant of a Morse flow, Pr-diagram, which is similar to the Heegaard diagram of a closed 3-manifold.
The Morse complex $\mathcal{M}(Δ)$ of a finite simplicial complex $Δ$ is the complex of all gradient vector fields on $Δ$. In this paper we study higher connectivity properties of $\mathcal{M}(Δ)$. For example, we prove that $\mathcal{M}(Δ)$ gets arbitrarily highly connected as the maximum degree of a vertex of $Δ$ goes to $\infty$, and for $Δ$ a graph additionally as the number of edges goes to $\infty$. We also classify precisely when $\mathcal{M}(Δ)$ is connected or simply connected. Our main tool is Bestvina-Brady Morse theory, applied to a "generalized Morse complex."
Smooth functions which are Morse on preimages of values not being local extrema and constructing natural functions of the class on connected sums of manifolds admitting these functions
Characterizing $3$-dimensional manifolds represented as connected sums of Lens spaces, $S^2 \times S^1$, and torus bundles over the circle by certain Morse-Bott functions
Let $M$ be either $n$-sphere $\mathbb{S}^{n}$ or a connected sum of finitely many copies of $\mathbb{S}^{n-1}\times \mathbb{S}^{1}$, $n\geq4$. A flow $f^t$ on $M$ is called gradient-like whenever its non-wandering set consists of finitely many hyperbolic equilibria and their invariant manifolds intersects transversally. We prove that if invariant manifolds of distinct saddles of a gradient-like flow $f^t$ on $M$ do not intersect each other (in other words, $f^t$ has no heteroclinic intersections), then for each saddle of $f^t$ its Morse index (i.e. dimension of the unstable manifold) is either…
Let $M$ be a smooth connected orientable compact surface. Denote by $F(M,S^1)$ the space of all Morse functions $f:M\to S^1$ having no critical points on the boundary of $M$ and such that for every boundary component $V$ of $M$ the restriction $f|_{V}:V\to S^1$ is either a constant map or a covering map. Endow $F(M,S^1)$ with the $C^{\infty}$-topology. In this note the connected components of $F(M,S^1)$ are classified. This result extends the results of S. V. Matveev, V. V. Sharko, and the author for the case of Morse functions being locally constant on the boundary of $M$.
Let $M$ be a compact oriented simply-connected manifold of dimension at least 8. Assume $M$ is equipped with a torsion-free semi-free circle action with isolated fixed points. We prove $M$ has a perfect invariant Morse-Smale function. The major ingredient in the proof is a new cancellation theorem for the invariant Morse theory.
Let $f$ be a real- or circle-valued Morse function on a compact surface M having exactly $n>0$ critical points. Denote by $O$ the orbit of $f$ with respect to the right action of the group of diffeomorphisms of $M$. We show that the connected components of $O$ have the homotopy type of a finite-dimensional CW-complex. Actually, these connected components are homotopy equivalent to a certain covering space of the $n$-th configuration space of the interior of $M$. As a consequence we obtain that the fundamental group of $O$ is a subgroup of the $n$-th braid group of $M$.
We consider a Morse function $f$ and a Morse-Smale gradient-like vector field $X$ on a compact connected oriented 3-manifold $M$ such that $f$ has only one critical point of index 3. Based on Laudenbach's ideas, we will show that the flow of $X$ can be isotoped into one so that the trajectory spaces of the new flow provide a stratification for $M$. We will construct "natural" tubular neighborhoods about each given trajectory space of the new flow such that these neighborhoods are stratified by open subsets of trajectory spaces that co-bound the given one. In connection with this we introduce t…
Let $f:M\to\mathbb{R}$ be a Morse-Bott function on a closed manifold $M$, so the set $Σ_f$ of its critical points is a closed submanifold whose connected components may have distinct dimensions. Denote by $\mathcal{S}(f) = \{h \in \mathcal{D}(M) \mid f\circ h=h \}$ the group of diffeomorphisms of $M$ preserving $f$ and let $\mathcal{D}(Σ_f)$ be the group of diffeomorphisms of $Σ_f$. We prove that the "restriction to $Σ_f$" map $ρ:\mathcal{S}(f) \to \mathcal{D}(Σ_f)$, $ρ(h) = h|_{Σ_f}$, is a locally trivial fibration over its image $ρ(\mathcal{S}(f))$.
In a recent work [2] with Datta, we introduced the mu vector (with respect to a given field) of simplicial complexes and used it to study tightness and lower bounds. In this paper, we modify the definition of mu vectors. With the new definition, most results of [2] become correct without the hypothesis of 2-neighbourliness. In particular, the combinatorial Morse inequalities of [2] are now true of all simplicial complexes. As an application, we prove the following generalized lower bound theorem (GLBT) for connected locally tame combinatorial manifolds. If $M$ is such a manifold of dimension $…
We make a detailed study of various (quadratic and linear) Morse-Bott trace functions on the orthogonal groups $O(n)$. We describe the critical loci of the quadratic trace function Tr$(AXBX^T)$ and determine their indices via perfect fillings of tables associated with the multiplicities of the eigenvalues of $A$ and $B$. We give a simplified treatment of T. Frankel's analysis of the linear trace function on $SO(n)$, as well as a combinatorial explanation of the relationship between the mod $2$ Betti numbers of $SO(n)$ and those of the Grassmannians $\mathbb{G}(2k,n)$ obtained from this analysi…
Let $X$ be a proper geodesic metric space and let $G$ be a group of isometries of $X$ which acts geometrically. Cordes constructed the Morse boundary of $X$ which generalizes the contracting boundary for CAT(0) spaces and the visual boundary for hyperbolic spaces. We characterize Morse elements in $G$ by their fixed points on the Morse boundary $\partial_MX$. The dynamics on the Morse boundary is very similar to that of a $δ$-hyperbolic space. In particular, we show that the action of $G$ on $\partial_MX$ is minimal if $G$ is not virtually cyclic. We also get a uniform convergence result on th…
We study polygon spaces arising from planar configurations of necklaces with some of the beads fixed and some of the beads sliding freely. These spaces include configuration spaces of flexible polygons and some other natural polygon spaces. We characterise critical points of the oriented area function in geometric terms and give a formula for the Morse indices. Thus we obtain a generalisation of isoperimetric theorems for polygons in the plane.
We obtain rigidity and gluing results for the Morse complex of a real-valued Morse function as well as for the Novikov complex of a circle-valued Morse function. A rigidity result is also proved for the Floer complex of a hamiltonian defined on a closed symplectic manifold $(M,ω)$ with $c_{1}|_{π_{2}(M)}=[ω]|_{π_{2}(M)}=0$. The rigidity results for these complexes show that the complex of a fixed generic function/hamiltonian is a retract of the Morse (respectively Novikov or Floer) complex of any other sufficiently $C^{0}$ close generic function/hamiltonian. The gluing result is a type of Maye…
Let $M$ be a smooth closed orientable surface. Let $F$ be the space of Morse functions on $M$ having fixed number of critical points of each index, moreover at least $χ(M)+1$ critical points are labeled by different labels (enumerated). A notion of a skew cylindric-polyhedral complex, which generalizes the notion of a polyhedral complex, is introduced. The skew cylindric-polyhedral complex $\mathbb{\widetilde K}$ (the "complex of framed Morse functions"), associated with the space $F$, is defined. In the case when $M=S^2$, the polyhedron $\mathbb{\widetilde K}$ is finite; its Euler characteris…
A point q in a contact manifold is called a translated point for a contactomorphism ϕ, with respect to some fixed contact form, if ϕ(q) and q belong to the same Reeb orbit and the contact form is preserved at q. In this article we discuss a version of the Arnold conjecture for translated points of contactomorphisms and, using generating functions techniques, we prove it in the case of spheres (under a genericity assumption) and projective spaces.
Let $M$ be a connected orientable compact surface, $f:M\to\mathbb{R}$ be a Morse function, and $\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{id}}(M)$ be the group of difeomorphisms of $M$ isotopic to the identity. Denote by $\mathcal{S}'(f)=\{f\circ h = f\mid h\in\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{id}}(M)\}$ the subgroup of $\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{id}}(M)$ consisting of difeomorphisms "preserving" $f$, i.e. the stabilizer of $f$ with respect to the right action of $\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{id}}(M)$ on the space $\mathcal{C}^{\infty}(M,\mathbb{R})$ of smooth functions on $M$. Let also $\mathbf{G}(f)$ be the group of automorphisms of the …
Let $M$ be a compact two-dimensional manifold and, $f \in C^{\infty}(M,\mathbb{R})$ be a Morse function, and $Γ_f$ be its Kronrod-Reeb graph. Denote by $\mathcal{O}_{f}=\{f \circ h \mid h \in \mathcal{D}\}$ the orbit of $f$ with respect to the natural right action of the group of diffeomorphisms $\mathcal{D}$ on $C^{\infty}(M,\mathbb{R})$, and by $\mathcal{S}(f)=\{h\in\mathcal{D} \mid f \circ h = f\}$ the corresponding stabilizer of this function. It is easy to show that each $h\in\mathcal{S}(f)$ induces a homeomorphism of $Γ_f$. Let also $\mathcal{D}_{\mathrm{id}}(M)$ be the identity path com…
We show that a generic Hamiltonian diffeomorphism on a closed symplectic manifold which is symplectically aspherical has at least the stable Morse number of fixed points - this is in line with a conjecture by Arnold.
According to Kiyoshi Igusa a generalized Morse function on an n-dimensional manifold M is a smooth function with only Morse and birth-death singularities and a framed function is a generalized Morse function with an additional structure: a framing of the negative eigenspace at each critical point of the function f. In his paper "The space of framed functions" (Trans. of Amer. Math. Soc., 301(1987), 431-477) Igusa proved that the space of framed generalized Morse functions is (n-1)-connected. In the paper "On the Classification of Topological Field Theories" (arXiv:0905.0465) Jacob Lurie gave a…
