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An Extension of Casson's Invariant. (AM-126), Volume 126

Author : Kevin Walker

Publisher : Princeton University Press

Page : 150 pages

File Size : 31,1 MB

Release : 2016-03-02

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 140088246X

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Book Description

This book describes an invariant, l, of oriented rational homology 3-spheres which is a generalization of work of Andrew Casson in the integer homology sphere case. Let R(X) denote the space of conjugacy classes of representations of p(X) into SU(2). Let (W,W,F) be a Heegaard splitting of a rational homology sphere M. Then l(M) is declared to be an appropriately defined intersection number of R(W) and R(W) inside R(F). The definition of this intersection number is a delicate task, as the spaces involved have singularities. A formula describing how l transforms under Dehn surgery is proved. The formula involves Alexander polynomials and Dedekind sums, and can be used to give a rather elementary proof of the existence of l. It is also shown that when M is a Z-homology sphere, l(M) determines the Rochlin invariant of M.



An Extension of Casson's Invariant

Author : Mathematical Sciences Research Institute (Berkeley, Calif.).

Publisher :

Page : 114 pages

File Size : 24,91 MB

Release : 1990

Category :

ISBN :

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Global Surgery Formula for the Casson-Walker Invariant. (AM-140), Volume 140

Author : Christine Lescop

Publisher : Princeton University Press

Page : 156 pages

File Size : 36,59 MB

Release : 2014-09-08

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 1400865158

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Book Description

This book presents a new result in 3-dimensional topology. It is well known that any closed oriented 3-manifold can be obtained by surgery on a framed link in S 3. In Global Surgery Formula for the Casson-Walker Invariant, a function F of framed links in S 3 is described, and it is proven that F consistently defines an invariant, lamda (l), of closed oriented 3-manifolds. l is then expressed in terms of previously known invariants of 3-manifolds. For integral homology spheres, l is the invariant introduced by Casson in 1985, which allowed him to solve old and famous questions in 3-dimensional topology. l becomes simpler as the first Betti number increases. As an explicit function of Alexander polynomials and surgery coefficients of framed links, the function F extends in a natural way to framed links in rational homology spheres. It is proven that F describes the variation of l under any surgery starting from a rational homology sphere. Thus F yields a global surgery formula for the Casson invariant.





Topology and Geometry of Manifolds

Author : Gordana Matic

Publisher : American Mathematical Soc.

Page : 370 pages

File Size : 14,26 MB

Release : 2003

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0821835076

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Book Description

Since 1961, the Georgia Topology Conference has been held every eight years to discuss the newest developments in topology. The goals of the conference are to disseminate new and important results and to encourage interaction among topologists who are in different stages of their careers. Invited speakers are encouraged to aim their talks to a broad audience, and several talks are organized to introduce graduate students to topics of current interest. Each conference results in high-quality surveys, new research, and lists of unsolved problems, some of which are then formally published. Continuing in this 40-year tradition, the AMS presents this volume of articles and problem lists from the 2001 conference. Topics covered include symplectic and contact topology, foliations and laminations, and invariants of manifolds and knots. Articles of particular interest include John Etnyre's, ``Introductory Lectures on Contact Geometry'', which is a beautiful expository paper that explains the background and setting for many of the other papers. This is an excellent introduction to the subject for graduate students in neighboring fields. Etnyre and Lenhard Ng's, ``Problems in Low-Dimensional Contact Topology'' and Danny Calegari's extensive paper,``Problems in Foliations and Laminations of 3-Manifolds'' are carefully selected problems in keeping with the tradition of the conference. They were compiled by Etnyre and Ng and by Calegari with the input of many who were present. This book provides material of current interest to graduate students and research mathematicians interested in the geometry and topology of manifolds.



Knots and Links

Author : Dale Rolfsen

Publisher : American Mathematical Soc.

Page : 458 pages

File Size : 25,39 MB

Release : 2003

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0821834363

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Book Description

Rolfsen's beautiful book on knots and links can be read by anyone, from beginner to expert, who wants to learn about knot theory. Beginners find an inviting introduction to the elements of topology, emphasizing the tools needed for understanding knots, the fundamental group and van Kampen's theorem, for example, which are then applied to concrete problems, such as computing knot groups. For experts, Rolfsen explains advanced topics, such as the connections between knot theory and surgery and how they are useful to understanding three-manifolds. Besides providing a guide to understanding knot theory, the book offers 'practical' training. After reading it, you will be able to do many things: compute presentations of knot groups, Alexander polynomials, and other invariants; perform surgery on three-manifolds; and visualize knots and their complements.It is characterized by its hands-on approach and emphasis on a visual, geometric understanding. Rolfsen offers invaluable insight and strikes a perfect balance between giving technical details and offering informal explanations. The illustrations are superb, and a wealth of examples are included. Now back in print by the AMS, the book is still a standard reference in knot theory. It is written in a remarkable style that makes it useful for both beginners and researchers. Particularly noteworthy is the table of knots and links at the end. This volume is an excellent introduction to the topic and is suitable as a textbook for a course in knot theory or 3-manifolds. Other key books of interest on this topic available from the AMS are ""The Shoelace Book: A Mathematical Guide to the Best (and Worst) Ways to Lace your Shoes"" and ""The Knot Book.""



The Hauptvermutung Book

Author : A.A. Ranicki

Publisher : Springer Science & Business Media

Page : 192 pages

File Size : 41,87 MB

Release : 2013-03-09

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 9401733430

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Book Description

The Hauptvermutung is the conjecture that any two triangulations of a poly hedron are combinatorially equivalent. The conjecture was formulated at the turn of the century, and until its resolution was a central problem of topology. Initially, it was verified for low-dimensional polyhedra, and it might have been expected that furt her development of high-dimensional topology would lead to a verification in all dimensions. However, in 1961 Milnor constructed high-dimensional polyhedra with combinatorially inequivalent triangulations, disproving the Hauptvermutung in general. These polyhedra were not manifolds, leaving open the Hauptvermu tung for manifolds. The development of surgery theory led to the disproof of the high-dimensional manifold Hauptvermutung in the late 1960's. Unfortunately, the published record of the manifold Hauptvermutung has been incomplete, as was forcefully pointed out by Novikov in his lecture at the Browder 60th birthday conference held at Princeton in March 1994. This volume brings together the original 1967 papers of Casson and Sulli van, and the 1968/1972 'Princeton notes on the Hauptvermutung' of Armstrong, Rourke and Cooke, making this work physically accessible. These papers include several other results which have become part of the folklore but of which proofs have never been published. My own contribution is intended to serve as an intro duction to the Hauptvermutung, and also to give an account of some more recent developments in the area. In preparing the original papers for publication, only minimal changes of punctuation etc.



Problems on Mapping Class Groups and Related Topics

Author : Benson Farb

Publisher : American Mathematical Soc.

Page : 384 pages

File Size : 32,93 MB

Release : 2006-09-12

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0821838385

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Book Description

The appearance of mapping class groups in mathematics is ubiquitous. The book presents 23 papers containing problems about mapping class groups, the moduli space of Riemann surfaces, Teichmuller geometry, and related areas. Each paper focusses completely on open problems and directions. The problems range in scope from specific computations, to broad programs. The goal is to have a rich source of problems which have been formulated explicitly and accessibly. The book is divided into four parts. Part I contains problems on the combinatorial and (co)homological group-theoretic aspects of mapping class groups, and the way in which these relate to problems in geometry and topology. Part II concentrates on connections with classification problems in 3-manifold theory, the theory of symplectic 4-manifolds, and algebraic geometry. A wide variety of problems, from understanding billiard trajectories to the classification of Kleinian groups, can be reduced to differential and synthetic geometry problems about moduli space. Such problems and connections are discussed in Part III. Mapping class groups are related, both concretely and philosophically, to a number of other groups, such as braid groups, lattices in semisimple Lie groups, and automorphism groups of free groups. Part IV concentrates on problems surrounding these relationships. This book should be of interest to anyone studying geometry, topology, algebraic geometry or infinite groups. It is meant to provide inspiration for everyone from graduate students to senior researchers.



Surgery on Compact Manifolds

Author : Charles Terence Clegg Wall

Publisher : American Mathematical Soc.

Page : 321 pages

File Size : 49,55 MB

Release : 1999

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 0821809423

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Book Description

The publication of this book in 1970 marked the culmination of a period in the history of the topology of manifolds. This edition, based on the original text, is supplemented by notes on subsequent developments and updated references and commentaries.



Floer Homology, Gauge Theory, and Low-Dimensional Topology

Author : Clay Mathematics Institute. Summer School

Publisher : American Mathematical Soc.

Page : 318 pages

File Size : 49,42 MB

Release : 2006

Category : Mathematics

ISBN : 9780821838457

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Book Description

Mathematical gauge theory studies connections on principal bundles, or, more precisely, the solution spaces of certain partial differential equations for such connections. Historically, these equations have come from mathematical physics, and play an important role in the description of the electro-weak and strong nuclear forces. The use of gauge theory as a tool for studying topological properties of four-manifolds was pioneered by the fundamental work of Simon Donaldson in theearly 1980s, and was revolutionized by the introduction of the Seiberg-Witten equations in the mid-1990s. Since the birth of the subject, it has retained its close connection with symplectic topology. The analogy between these two fields of study was further underscored by Andreas Floer's constructionof an infinite-dimensional variant of Morse theory that applies in two a priori different contexts: either to define symplectic invariants for pairs of Lagrangian submanifolds of a symplectic manifold, or to define topological This volume is based on lecture courses and advanced seminars given at the 2004 Clay Mathematics Institute Summer School at the Alfred Renyi Institute of Mathematics in Budapest, Hungary. Several of the authors have added a considerable amount of additional material tothat presented at the school, and the resulting volume provides a state-of-the-art introduction to current research, covering material from Heegaard Floer homology, contact geometry, smooth four-manifold topology, and symplectic four-manifolds. Information for our distributors: Titles in this seriesare copublished with the Clay Mathematics Institute (Cambridge, MA).