The main result of this paper states that a symplectic s-cobordism of elliptic 3-manifolds is diffeomorphic to a product (assuming a canonical contact structure on the boundary). Based on this theorem, we conjecture that a smooth s-cobordism of elliptic 3-manifolds is smoothly a product if its universal cover is smoothly a product. We explain how the conjecture fits naturally into the program of Taubes of constructing symplectic structures on an oriented smooth 4-manifold from generic self-dual harmonic forms. The paper also contains an auxiliary result of independent interest, which generalizes Taubes' theorem SW --> Gr to the case of symplectic 4-orbifolds.
We develop a theory of parametrized geometric cobordism by introducing smooth Thom stacks. This requires identifying and constructing a smooth representative of the Thom functor acting on vector bundles equipped with extra geometric data, leading to a geometric refinement of the the Pontrjagin-Thom construction in stacks. We demonstrate that the resulting theory generalizes the parametrized cobordism of Galatius-Madsen-Tillman-Weiss. The theory has the feature of being both versatile and general, allowing for the inclusion of families of various geometric data, such as metrics on manifolds and…
This is primarily an exposition, combining work of several authors (Curtis, Hsiang, Freedman, Stong, Matveyev, and Bizaca), of the proof that a smooth 5-dimensional h-cobordism between simply connected 4-manifolds is a product off of a contractible piece which itself is diffeomorphic to the 5-ball.
We extend the theory of relative trisections of smooth, compact, oriented $4$-manifolds with connected boundary given by Gay and Kirby to include $4$-manifolds with an arbitrary number of boundary components. Additionally, we provide sufficient conditions under which relatively trisected $4$-manifolds can be glued to one another along diffeomorphic boundary components so as to induce a trisected manifold. These two results allow us to define a category $\textrm{Tri}$ whose objects are smooth, closed, oriented $3$-manifolds equipped with open book decompositions, and morphisms are relatively tr…
The $0$-surgeries of two knots $K_1$ and $K_2$ are homology cobordant rel meridians if there exists a $\mathbb{Z}$-homology cobordism $X$ between them such that the two knot meridians are in the same homology class in $H_{1}(X,\mathbb{Z})$. In this paper, we give a pair of rationally slice knots which are not smoothly concordant but whose $0$-surgeries are homology cobordant rel meridians. One knot in the pair is the figure eight knot, which has concordance order two; all previous examples of such pairs of knots are infinite order.
Let P be a connected smooth p-manifold. We describe the group of all cobordism classes of smooth maps of n-manifolds to P with singularities of a given $cal K$-invariant class in terms of certain stable homotopy groups by applying the relative homotopy principle on the existence level. We also deal with the oriented version and construct a classifying space to which this oriented cobordism group is represented as the set of homotopy classes of P in the codimension n<p and n\geqq p\geqq 2.
We show that the number of double points of smoothly immersed 2-spheres representing certain homology classes of an oriented, smooth, closed, simply-connected 4-manifold X must increase with the complexity of corresponding h-cobordisms from X to X. As an application, we give results restricting the minimal number of double points of immersed spheres in manifolds homeomorphic to rational surfaces.
Using the work of Dwyer, Weiss, and Williams we associate an invariant to any topologically trivial family of smooth h-cobordisms. This invariant is called the smooth structure class, and is closely related to the higher Franz--Reidemeister torsion of Igusa and Klein. We compute the smooth structure class in terms of a fiberwise generalized Morse function using fiberwise Poincaré--Hopf theory. This computation gives rise to a duality theorem for the smooth structure class that generalizes Milnor's duality theorem for the Whitehead torsion. From this result we deduce a vanishing theorem that im…
The main result is that an s-cobordism (topological or smooth) of 4-manifolds has a product structure outside a ``core'' sub s-cobordism. These cores are arranged to have quite a bit of structure, for example they are smooth and abstractly (forgetting boundary structure) diffeomorphic to a standard neighborhood of a 1-complex. The decomposition is highly nonunique so cannot be used to define an invariant, but it shows the topological s-cobordism question reduces to the core case. The simply-connected version of the decomposition (with 1-complex a point) is due to Curtis, Freedman, Hsiang and S…
In this paper, by use of techniques associated to cobordism theory and Morse theory,we give a simple proof of Poincare conjecture, i.e. Every compact smooth simply connected 3-manifold is homeomorphic to 3-sphere.
Let $N$ and $P$ be smooth closed manifolds of dimensions $n$ and $p$ respectively. Given a Thom-Boardman symbol $I$, a smooth map $f:N\to P$ is called an $Ω^{I}$-regular map if and only if the Thom-Boardman symbol of each singular point of $f$ is not greater than $I$ in the lexicographic order. We will represent the group of all cobordism classes of $Ω^{I}$-regular maps of $n$-dimensional closed manifolds into $P$ in terms of certain stable homotopy groups. As an application we will study the relationship among the stable homotopy groups of spheres, the above cobordism group and higher singula…
Given a smooth, compact four-manifold $X$ viewed as a cobordism from the empty set to its connected boundary, we demonstrate how to use the data of a trisection map $π:X^{4} \to \mathbb{D}^{2}$ to compute the induced cobordism maps on Heegaard Floer homology associated to $X$.
For a finite group $G$, we define an equivariant cobordism category $\mathcal{C}_d^G$. Objects of the category are $(d-1)$-dimensional closed smooth $G$-manifolds and morphisms are smooth $d$-dimensional equivariant cobordisms. We identify the homotopy type of its classifying space (i.e. geometric realization of its simplicial nerve) as the fixed points of the infinite loop space of an equivariant spectrum.
We give a proof of the cobordism invariance of the index of elliptic pseudodifferential operators on sigma-compact manifolds, where, in the non-compact case, the operators are assumed to be multiplication outside a compact set. We show that, if the principal symbol class of such an elliptic operator on the boundary of a manifold X has a suitable extension to K^1(TX), then its index is zero. This condition is incorporated into the definition of a cobordism group for non-compact manifolds, called here ``cobordism of symbols''. Our proof is topological, in that we use properties of the push-forwa…
We define parametrized cobordism categories and study their formal properties as bivariant theories. Bivariant transformations to a strongly excisive bivariant theory give rise to characteristic classes of smooth bundles with strong additivity properties. In the case of cobordisms between manifolds with boundary, we prove that such a bivariant transformation is uniquely determined by its value at the universal disk bundle. This description of bivariant transformations yields a short proof of the Dwyer-Weiss-Williams family index theorem for the parametrized A-theory Euler characteristic of a s…
We consider the topological category of $h$-cobordisms between manifolds with boundary and compare its homotopy type with the standard $h$-cobordism space of a compact smooth manifold.
The purpose of this note is to show that classical cobordism arguments, which go back to the pioneering works of Mandelbaum and Moishezon, provide quick and unified proofs of any knot surgered compact simply-connected 4-manifold X_K becoming diffeomorphic to X after a single stabilization by connected summing with S^2 x S^2 or CP^2 # -CP^2, and almost complete decomposability of X_K for many almost completely decomposable X, such as the elliptic surfaces.
Let $\widehat{\mathcal{C}}_{\mathbb{Z}}$ denote the group of knots in homology spheres that bound homology balls, modulo smooth concordance in homology cobordisms. Answering a question of Matsumoto, the second author previously showed that the natural map from the smooth knot concordance group $\mathcal{C}$ to $\widehat{\mathcal{C}}_{\mathbb{Z}}$ is not surjective. Using tools from Heegaard Floer homology, we show that the cokernel of this map, which can be understood as the non-locally-flat piecewise-linear concordance group, is infinitely generated and contains elements of infinite order.
For each integer q>0 there is a cohomology theory such that the zero cohomology group of a manifold N of dimension n is a certain group of cobordism classes of proper fold maps of manifolds of dimension n+q into N. We prove a splitting theorem for the spectrum representing the cohomology theory of fold maps. For even q, the splitting theorem implies that the cobordism group of fold maps to a manifold N is a sum of q/2 cobordism groups of framed immersions to N and a group related to diffeomorphism groups of manifolds of dimension q+1. Similarly, in the case of odd q, the cobordism group of fol…
We consider the question: "If the zero-framed surgeries on two oriented knots in the 3-sphere are integral homology cobordant, preserving the homology class of the positive meridians, are the knots themselves concordant?" We show that this question has a negative answer in the smooth category, even for topologically slice knots. To show this we first prove that the zero-framed surgery on K is Z-homology cobordant to the zero-framed surgery on many of its winding number one satellites P(K). Then we prove that in many cases the tau and s-invariants of K and P(K) differ. Consequently neither tau …
In this note we classify the diffeomorphism classes rel. boundary of smooth h-cobordisms between two fixed 1-connected 4-manifolds in terms of isometries between the intersection forms.
We study necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of Lorentzian and weak Lorentzian cobordisms between closed smooth manifolds of arbitrary dimension such that the structure group of the frame bundle of the cobordism is $\Spin(1, n)_0$. This extends a result of Gibbons-Hawking on $\Sl(2, \C)$-Lorentzian cobordisms between 3-manifolds and results of Reinhart and Sorkin on the existence of Lorentzian cobordisms. We compute the $\Spin(1, n)_0$-Lorentzian cobordism group for several dimensions. Restrictions on the gravitational kink numbers of $\Spin(1, n)_0$-weak Lorentzian cobordism…
Symplectic Khovanov homology is an invariant of oriented links defined by Seidel and Smith and conjectured to be isomorphic to Khovanov homology. I define morphisms (up to a global sign ambiguity) between symplectic Khovanov homology groups, corresponding to isotopy classes of smooth link cobordisms in 4D between a fixed pair of links. These morphisms define a functor from the category of links and such cobordisms to the category of abelian groups and group homomorphisms up to a sign ambiguity. This provides an extra structure for symplectic Khovanov homology and more generally an isotopy inva…
In this note we use Heegaard Floer homology to study smooth cobordisms of algebraic knots and complex deformations of cusp singularities of curves. The main tool will be the concordance invariant $ν^+$: we study its behaviour with respect to connected sums, providing an explicit formula in the case of L-space knots and proving subadditivity in general.
A generic smooth map of a closed $2k$-manifold into $(3k-1)$-space has a finite number of cusps ($Σ^{1,1}$-singularities). We determine the possible numbers of cusps of such maps. A fold map is a map with singular set consisting of only fold singularities ($Σ^{1,0}$-singularities). Two fold maps are fold bordant if there are cobordisms between their source- and target manifolds with a fold map extending the two maps between the boundaries, if the two targets agree and the target cobordism can be taken as a product with a unit interval then the maps are fold cobordant. We compute the cobordism …
V.V. Sharko in his papers and books has investigated functions on manifolds and cobordism. Braids intimately connect with functions on manifolds. These connections are represented by mapping class groups of corresponding discs, by fundamental groups of corresponding punctured discs, and by some other topological or algebraic structures. This paper presents selected algebraic methods and results of braids, links, cobordism connect with investigations by V.V. Sharko. These includes group theoretic results on braids and links, infinitesimal braid group relations and connections as well as connect…
The smooth rational homology cobordism group of rational homology three spheres, T, contains subgroups T_p generated by 3-manifolds with first homology p-torsion, where p is a prime. Rochlin's theorem and gauge theoretic methods show that the inclusion of the direct sum of the T_p into T has infinitely generated kernel. We use Heegaard-Floer methods to show that the cokernel is infinitely generated. On the level of Witt groups of linking forms and conjecturally in the topological category, the inclusion is an isomorphism. One application is the demonstration of the failure in dimension three o…
We show that the cobordism maps on Khovanov homology can distinguish smooth surfaces in the 4-ball that are exotically knotted (i.e., isotopic through ambient homeomorphisms but not ambient diffeomorphisms). We develop new techniques for distinguishing cobordism maps on Khovanov homology, drawing on knot symmetries and braid factorizations. We also show that Plamenevskaya's transverse invariant in Khovanov homology is preserved by maps induced by positive ascending cobordisms.
Round handles are affiliated with smooth 4-manifolds in two major ways: 5-dimensional round handles appear extensively as the building blocks in cobordisms between 4-manifolds, whereas 4-dimensional round handles are the building blocks of broken Lefschetz fibrations on them. The purpose of this article is to shed more light on these interactions. We prove that if X and X' are cobordant closed smooth 4-manifolds with the same euler characteristics, and if one of them is simply-connected, then there is a cobordism between them which is composed of round 2-handles only, and therefore one can pas…
We investigate constraints on embeddings of a non-orientable surface in a $4$-manifold with the homology of $M \times I$, where $M$ is a rational homology $3$-sphere. The constraints take the form of inequalities involving the genus and normal Euler class of the surface, and either the Ozsváth--Sazbó $d$-invariants or Atiyah--Singer $ρ$-invariants of $M$. One consequence is that the minimal genus of a smoothly embedded surface in $L(2p,q) \times I$ is the same as the minimal genus of a surface in $L(2p,q)$. We also consider embeddings of non-orientable surfaces in closed $4$-manifolds.
We construct a map from the suspension $G$-spectrum $Σ_G^\infty M$ of a smooth compact $G$-manifold to the equivariant $A$-theory spectrum $A_G(M)$, and we show that its fiber is, on fixed points, a wedge of stable $h$-cobordism spectra. This map is constructed as a map of spectral Mackey functors, which is compatible with tom Dieck style splitting formulas on fixed points. In order to synthesize different definitions of the suspension $G$-spectrum as a spectral Mackey functor, we present a new perspective on spectral Mackey functors, viewing them as multifunctors on indexing categories for "r…
We prove an analogue of the Kotschick-Morgan conjecture in the context of SO(3) monopoles, obtaining a formula relating the Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten invariants of smooth four-manifolds using the SO(3)-monopole cobordism. The main technical difficulty in the SO(3)-monopole program relating the Seiberg-Witten and Donaldson invariants has been to compute intersection pairings on links of strata of reducible SO(3) monopoles, namely the moduli spaces of Seiberg-Witten monopoles lying in lower-level strata of the Uhlenbeck compactification of the moduli space of SO(3) monopoles [arXiv:dg-ga/9710…
In this paper, we recall Quillen's plus construction for high-dimensional smooth manifolds and the solution to the group extension problem. We then develop a geometric procedure due for producing a "reverse" to the plus construction, a one-sided s-cobordism called a semi-s-cobordism, when the total group of the group extension is a semi-direct product. We then use this reverse to the plus construction to produce uncountably many different one-ended manifolds called pseudo-collars, which are stackings of semi-s- cobordisms. We finally display a technique for producing "nice" one-ended open mani…
A smooth five-dimensional s-cobordism becomes a smooth product if stabilized by a finite number n of $S^2xS^2x[0,1]$'s. We show that for amenable fundamental groups, the minimal n is subextensive in covers, i.e., n(cover)/index(cover) has limit 0. We focus on the notion of sweepout width, which is a bridge between 4-dimensional topology and coarse geometry.
The Reeb space of a smooth map whose codimension is minus is the space defined as the space of all connected components of inverse images. For generic maps such as Morse functions and their higher dimensional versions, they are polyhedra whose dimensions are equal to those of the target manifolds and which have simplicial structures compatible with (the canonical) simplicial structures of the source and the target manifolds, and in considerable cases they inherit fundamental and important invariants of source manifolds. In fact, Reeb spaces are fundamentall tools in the algebraic and different…
We give two constructions of surfaces in simply-connected 4-manifolds with non simply-connected complements. One is an iteration of the twisted rim surgery introduced by the first author. We also construct, for any group G satisfying some simple conditions, a simply-connected symplectic manifold containing a symplectic surface whose complement has fundamental group G. In each case, we produce infinitely many smoothly inequivalent surfaces that are equivalent up to smooth s-cobordism and hence are topologically equivalent for good groups.
We show that any closed oriented 3-manifold can be topologically embedded in some simply-connected closed symplectic 4-manifold, and that it can be made a smooth embedding after one stabilization. As a corollary of the proof we show that the homology cobordism group is generated by Stein fillable 3-manifolds. We also find obstructions on smooth embeddings: there exists 3-manifolds which cannot smoothly embed in a way that appropriately respect orientations in any symplectic manifold with weakly convex boundary. This embedding obstruction can also be used to detect exotic smooth structures on 4…
Our main result is a generalization of Cappell's 5-dimensional splitting theorem. As an application, we analyze, up to internal s-cobordism, the smoothable splitting and fibering problems for certain 5-manifolds mapping to the circle. For example, these maps may have homotopy fibers which are in the class of finite connected sums of certain geometric 4-manifolds. Most of these homotopy fibers have non-vanishing second mod 2 homology and have fundamental groups of exponential growth, which are not known to be tractable by Freedman--Quinn topological surgery. Indeed, our key technique is topolog…
