Related papers: Computing Heegaard genus is NP-hard

The Heegaard genus is a fundamental invariant of 3-manifolds. However, computing the Heegaard genus of a triangulated 3-manifold is NP-hard, and while algorithms exist, little work has been done in making such an algorithm efficient and…

We investigate the computational complexity of some problems in three-dimensional topology and geometry. We show that the problem of determining a bound on the genus of a knot in a 3-manifold, is NP-complete. Using similar ideas, we show…

We use quantum invariants to define a 3-manifold invariant j_p which lies in the non-negative integers. We relate j_p to the Heegard genus, and the cut number. We show that j_$ is an invariant of weak p-congruence.

In this paper, we show that, for any integers $n\geq 2$ and $g\geq 2$, there exist genus-$g$ Heegaard splittings of compact 3-manifolds with distance exactly $n$.

We provide an algorithm to determine the Heegaard genus of simple 3-manifolds with non-empty boundary. More generally, we supply an algorithm to determine (up to ambient isotopy) all the Heegaard splittings of any given genus for the…

The equivariant Heegaard genus of a 3-manifold $M$ with the action of a finite group $G$ of diffeomorphisms is the smallest genus of an equivariant Heegaard splitting for $M$. Although a Heegaard splitting of a reducible manifold is…

We show that the problem of deciding whether a knot in a fixed closed orientable 3-dimensional manifold bounds a surface of genus at most $g$ is in co-NP. This answers a question of Agol, Hass, and Thurston in 2002. Previously, this was…

We give an algorithmic proof of the theorem that a closed orientable irreducible and atoroidal 3-manifold has only finitely many Heegaard splittings in each genus, up to isotopy. The proof gives an algorithm to determine the Heegaard genus…

Heegaard splittings stratify 3-manifolds by complexity; only $S^3$ admits a genus-zero splitting, and only $S^3$, $S^1 \times S^2$, and lens spaces $L(p,q)$ admit genus-one splittings. In dimension four, the second author and Jeffrey Meier…

The Heegaard genus g of an irreducible closed orientable 3-manifold puts a limit on the number and complexity of the pieces that arise in the Jaco-Shalen-Johannson decomposition of the manifold by its canonical tori. For example, if p of…

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…

Let M be a 3-manifold admitting a strongly irreducible Heegaard surface S and f:M \to M an involution. We construct an invariant Heegaard surface for M of genus at most 8 g(S) - 7. As a consequence, given a (possibly branched) double cover…

Let $X$ be a bundle over $S^1$ with fiber a 3--manifold $M$ and with monodromy $\varphi$. Gay and Kirby showed that if $\varphi$ fixes a genus $g$ Heegaard splitting of $M$ then $X$ has a genus $6g+1$ trisection. Genus $3g+1$ trisections…

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…

Suppose M is a compact orientable irreducible 3-manifold with Heegaard splitting surfaces P and Q. Then either Q is isotopic to a possibly stabilized copy of P or the Hempel distance of the splitting P is no greater than twice the genus of…

In this paper, we introduce a new concept of {\it strongly keen} for Heegaard splittings, and show that, for any integers $n\geq 2$ and $g\geq 3$, there exists a strongly keen Heegaard splitting of genus $g$ whose Hempel distance is $n$.

We investigate the complexity of finding an embedded non-orientable surface of Euler genus $g$ in a triangulated $3$-manifold. This problem occurs both as a natural question in low-dimensional topology, and as a first non-trivial instance…

The long standing classification problem in the theory of Heegaard splittings of 3-manifolds is to exhibit for each closed 3-manifold a complete list, without duplication, of all its irreducible Heegaard surfaces, up to isotopy. We solve…

The rectangle condition for a genus $g$ Heegaard splitting of a 3-manifold, defined by Casson and Gordon, provides a sufficient criterion for the Heegaard splitting to be strongly irreducible. However it is unknown whether there exists a…

Let M and M' be simple 3-manifolds, each with connected boundary of genus at least two. Suppose that M and M' are glued via a homeomorphism between their boundaries. Then we show that, provided the gluing homeomorphism is `sufficiently…