Related papers: Heegaard splittings with large subsurface distance…

We give a simple criterion for a Heegaard splitting to yield a Haken manifold. As a consequence, we construct many Haken manifolds, in particular homology spheres, with prescribed properties, namely Heegaard genus, Heegaard distance and…

We show that given a partially flat angled ideal triangulation for a 3-manifold $M$ with boundary (as defined by Lackenby), there is an algorithm to produce a list of Heegaard splittings for $M$ such that below a given genus $g$, each…

In a previous paper we introduced a notion of "genericity" for countable sets of curves in the curve complex of a surface S, based on the Lebesgue measure on the space of projective measured laminations in S. With this definition we prove…

We give an upper bound for the Reidemeister-Singer distance between two Heegaard splittings in terms of the genera and the number of cusp points of the product map of Morse functions for the splittings. It suggests that a certain…

Following an example discovered by John Berge, we show that there is a 4-component link L \subset (S^1 x S^2)#(S^1 x S^2) so that, generically, the result of Dehn surgery on L is a 3-manifold with two inequivalent genus 2 Heegaard…

For the genus-$4$ Heegaard surface in the $3$-sphere, we present a sufficient condition for a non-separating weak reducing pair to be separated by a reducing sphere for the surface. As a consequence, we reduce the connectivity problem in…

We show that if a Heegaard splitting is obtained by gluing a splitting of Hempel distance at least 4 and the genus-1 splitting of $S^2 \times S^1$, then the Goeritz group of the splitting is finitely generated. To show this, we first…

Let $M=H_{+}\cup_{S} H_{-}$ be a genus $g$ Heegaard splitting with Heegaard distance $n\geq \kappa+2$: (1) Let $c_{1}$, $c_{2}$ be two slopes in the same component of $\partial_{-}H_{-}$, such that the natural Heegaard splitting…

We construct families of pairs of Heegaard splittings that must be stabilized several times to become equivalent. The first such pair differs only by their orientation. These are genus n splittings of a closed 3-manifold that must be…

Given a Heegaard surface in the $3$-sphere, we show that any non-separating weak reducing pair for the surface admits a reducing sphere that separates the two disks of the pair if and only if the genus of the surface is at most $3$.

Haken showed that the Heegaard splittings of reducible 3-manifolds are reducible, that is, a reducing 2-sphere can be found which intersects the Heegaard surface in a single simple closed curve. When the genus of the "interesting" surface…

In this paper we introduce "critical surfaces", which are described via a 1-complex whose definition is reminiscent of the curve complex. Our main result is that if the minimal genus common stabilization of a pair of strongly irreducible…

We give a new perspective of Heegaard splittings in terms square complexes and Guirardel's notion of a \textit{core} which allows for combinatorial measurement of the obstruction to being a connect sum of Heegaard diagrams. A Heegaard…

J Hempel [Topology, 2001] showed that the set of distances of the Heegaard splittings (S,V, h^n(V)) is unbounded, as long as the stable and unstable laminations of h avoid the closure of V in PML(S). Here h is a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism…

Let K be a knot in a closed orientable irreducible 3-manifold M and let P be a Heegaard splitting of the knot complement of genus at least two. Suppose Q is a bridge surface for K. Then either \begin{itemize} \item $d(P)\leq 2-\chi(Q-K)$,…

We construct examples of closed non-Haken hyperbolic 3-manifolds with a Heegaard splitting of arbitrarily large distance.

Let $M$ be a surface sum of 3-manifolds $M_1$ and $M_2$ along a bounded connected surface $F$ and $\partial_i$ be the component of $\partial M_i$ containing $F$. If $M_i$ has a high distance Heegaard splitting, then any minimal Heegaard…

This article is the author's contribution to the volume "Problems on mapping class groups and related topics" which will be published in December 2006, with Benson Farb as Editor. Various individuals were invited by Farb to submit open…

We show that if $M$ is a closed three manifold with a Heegaard splitting with sufficiently big "handlebody distance" then the subgroup of the mapping class group of the Heegaard surface, which extend to both handlebodies is finite. As a…

Let $M_1$ and $M_2$ be orientable irreducible 3--manifolds with connected boundary and suppose $\partial M_1\cong\partial M_2$. Let $M$ be a closed 3--manifold obtained by gluing $M_1$ to $M_2$ along the boundary. We show that if the gluing…