Let $V$ be a degree $d$, reduced hypersurface in $\mathbb{CP}^{n+1}$, $n \geq 1$, and fix a generic hyperplane, $H$. Denote by $\mathcal{U}$ the (affine) hypersurface complement, $\mathbb{CP}^{n+1}- V \cup H$, and let $\mathcal{U}^c$ be the infinite cyclic covering of $\mathcal{U}$ corresponding to the kernel of the linking number homomorphism. Using intersection homology theory, we give a new construction of the Alexander modules $H_i(\mathcal{U}^c;\mathbb{Q})$ of the hypersurface complement and show that, if $i \leq n$, these are torsion over the ring of rational Laurent polynomials. We also obtain obstructions on the associated global polynomials. Their zeros are roots of unity of order $d$ and are entirely determined by the local topological information encoded by the link pairs of singular strata of a stratification of the pair $(\mathbb{CP}^{n+1},V)$. As an application, we give obstructions on the eigenvalues of monodromy operators associated to the Milnor fibre of a projective hypersurface arrangement.
We start with a discussion on Alexander invariants, and then prove some general results concerning the divisibility of the Alexander polynomials and the supports of the Alexander modules, via Artin's vanishing theorem for perverse sheaves. We conclude with explicit computations of twisted cohomology following an idea already exploited in the hyperplane arrangement case, which combines the degeneration of the Hodge to de Rham spectral sequence to the purity of some cohomology groups.
We define and study twisted Alexander-type invariants of complex hypersurface complements. We investigate torsion properties for the twisted Alexander modules and extend classical local-to-global divisibility results to the twisted setting. In the process, we also study the splitting fields containing the roots of the corresponding twisted Alexander polynomials.
Let $f:\CN \rightarrow \C $ be a polynomial map, which is transversal at infinity. Using Sabbah's specialization complex, we give a new description of the Alexander modules of the hypersurface complement $\CN\setminus f^{-1}(0)$, and obtain a general divisibility result for the associated Alexander polynomials. As a byproduct, we prove a conjecture of Maxim on the decomposition of the Cappell-Shaneson peripheral complex of the hypersurface. Moreover, as an application, we use nearby cycles to recover the mixed Hodge structure on the torsion Alexander modules, as defined by Dimca and Libgober. …
This paper extends Alexander duality to the setting of parametrized homology. Let X with be a compact subset of R^n x R (n \geq 2) satisfying certain conditions, let Y be its complement, and let p be the projection onto the second factor. Both X and Y are parametrized spaces with respect to the projection. The parametrized homology is a variant of zigzag persistent homology that measures how the homology of the level sets of the space changes as we vary the parameter. We show that if (X, p|_X) has a well-defined parametrized homology, then the pair (Y, p|_Y) has a well-defined reduced parametr…
Let $f:\CN \rightarrow \C $ be a polynomial, which is transversal (or regular) at infinity. Let $\U=\CN\setminus f^{-1}(0)$ be the corresponding affine hypersurface complement. By using the peripheral complex associated to $f$, we give several estimates for the (infinite cyclic) Alexander polynomials of $\U$ induced by $f$, and we describe the error terms for such estimates. The obtained polynomial identities can be further refined by using the Reidemeister torsion, generalizing a similar formula proved by Cogolludo and Florens in the case of plane curves. We also show that the above-mentioned…
The Alexandroff-Čech normal cohomology theory [Mor$_1$], [Bar], [Ba$_1$],[Ba$_2$] is the unique continuous extension \cite{Wat} of the additive cohomology theory [Mil], [Ber-Mdz$_1$] from the category of polyhedral pairs $\mathcal{K}^2_{Pol}$ to the category of closed normally embedded, the so called, $P$-pairs of general topological spaces $\mathcal{K}^2_{Top}$. In this paper we define the Alexander-Spanier normal cohomology theory based on all normal coverings and show that it is isomorphic to the Alexandroff-Čech normal cohomology. Using this fact and methods developed in [Ber-Mdz$_3$] we c…
In this article, we give a classification of Alexander modules of null-homologous knots in rational homology spheres. We characterize these modules A equipped with their Blanchfield forms $ϕ$, and the modules A such that there is a unique isomorphism class of $(A,ϕ)$, and we prove that for the other modules A, there are infinitely many such classes. We realise all these $(A,ϕ)$ by explicit knots in rational homology spheres.
We construct a bigraded spectral sequence from the gl(0)-homology to knot Floer homology. This spectral sequence is of Bockstein type and comes from a subtle manipulation of coefficients. The main tools are quantum traces of foams and of singular Soergel bimodules.
By considering a (not necessarily locally-flat) PL knot as the singular locus of a PL stratified pseudomanifold, we can use intersection homology theory to define intersection Alexander polynomials, a generalization of the classical Alexander polynomial invariants for smooth or PL locally-flat knots. We show that the intersection Alexander polynomials satisfy certain duality and normalization conditions analogous to those of ordinary Alexander polynomials, and we explore the relationships between the intersection Alexander polynomials and certain generalizations of the classical Alexander poly…
We study the twisted Novikov homology of the complement of a complex hypersurface in general position at infinity. We give a self-contained topological proof of the vanishing (except possibly in the middle degree) of the twisted Novikov homology groups associated to positive cohomology classes of degree one defined on the complement.
In this paper, we study the persistent homology of the offset filtration of algebraic varieties. We prove the algebraicity of two quantities central to the computation of persistent homology. Moreover, we connect persistent homology and algebraic optimization. Namely, we express the degree corresponding to the distance variable of the offset hypersurface in terms of the Euclidean Distance Degree of the starting variety, obtaining a new way to compute these degrees. Finally, we describe the non-properness locus of the offset construction and use this to describe the set of points that are topol…
We prove a Poincare-Alexander-Lefschetz duality theorem for rational torus-equivariant cohomology and rational homology manifolds. We allow non-compact and non-orientable spaces. We use this to deduce certain short exact sequences in equivariant cohomology, originally due to Duflot in the differentiable case, from similar, but more general short exact sequences in equivariant homology. A crucial role is played by the Cohen-Macaulayness of relative equivariant cohomology modules arising from the orbit filtration.
We consider a braid $β$ which acts on a punctured plane. Then we construct a local system on this plane and find a homology cicle $D$ in its symmetric power such that $D\cdot β(D)$ coincides with the Alexander polynomial of the plate closure of $β$.
We show that the Alexander and Thurston norms are the same for all irreducible Eisenbud-Neumann graph links in homology 3-spheres. These are the links obtained by splicing Seifert links in homology 3-spheres together along tori. By combining this result with previous results, we prove that the two norms coincide for all links in S^3 if either of the following two conditions are met; the link is a graph link, so that the JSJ decomposition of its complement in S^3 is made up of pieces which are all Seifert-fibered, or the link is alternating and not a (2,n)-torus link, so that the JSJ decomposit…
For line arrangements in P^2 with nice combinatorics (in particular, for those which are nodal away the line at infinity), we prove that the combinatorics contains the same information as the fundamental group together with the meridianal basis of the abelianization. We consider higher dimensional analogs of the above situation. For these analogs, we give purely combinatorial complete descriptions of the following topological invariants (over an arbitrary field): the twisted homology of the complement, with arbitrary rank one coefficients; the homology of the associated Milnor fiber and Alexan…
We give divisibility results for the (global) characteristic varieties of hypersurface complements expressed in terms of the local characteristic varieties at points along one of the irreducible components of the hypersurface. As an application, we recast old and obtain new finiteness and divisibility results for the classical (infinite cyclic) Alexander modules of complex hypersurface complements. Moreover, for the special case of hyperplane arrangements, we translate our divisibility results for characteristic varieties in terms of the corresponding resonance varieties.
We define new higher-order Alexander modules $\mathcal{A}_n(C)$ and higher-order degrees $δ_n(C)$ which are invariants of the algebraic planar curve $C$. These come from analyzing the module structure of the homology of certain solvable covers of the complement of the curve $C$. These invariants are in the spirit of those developed by T. Cochran in \cite{C} and S. Harvey in \cite{H} and \cite{Har}, which were used to study knots, 3-manifolds, and finitely presented groups, respectively. We show that for curves in general position at infinity, the higher-order degrees are finite. This provides …
This note contributes to the point calculus of persistent homology by extending Alexander duality to real-valued functions. Given a perfect Morse function $f: S^{n+1} \to [0,1]$ and a decomposition $S^{n+1} = U \cup V$ such that $M = \U \cap V$ is an $n$-manifold, we prove elementary relationships between the persistence diagrams of $f$ restricted to $U$, to $V$, and to $M$.
In this paper, we consider homology groups induced by the exterior algebra generated by a simplicial compliment of a simplicial complex $K$. These homology groups are isomorphic to the Tor-groups $\mathrm{Tor}_{i, J}^{\mathbf{k}[m]}(\mathbf{k}(K),\mathbf{k})$ of the face ring $\mathbf{k}(K)$, which is very useful and much studied in toric topology. By using $\check{C}ech$ homology theory and Alexander duality theorem, we prove that these homology groups have dualities with the simplicial cohomology groups of the full subcomplexes of $K$. Then we give a new proof of Hochster's theorem.
While intersection cohomology is stable under small resolutions, both ordinary and intersection cohomology are unstable under smooth deformation of singularities. For complex projective algebraic hypersurfaces with an isolated singularity, we show that the first author's cohomology of intersection spaces is stable under smooth deformations in all degrees except possibly the middle, and in the middle degree precisely when the monodromy action on the cohomology of the Milnor fiber is trivial. In many situations, the isomorphism is shown to be a ring homomorphism induced by a continuous map. This…
