Related papers: Strong Haken via Thin Position

For each $g \ge 2$, we prove existence of a computable constant $\epsilon(g) > 0$ such that if $S$ is a strongly irreducible Heegaard surface of genus $g$ in a complete hyperbolic 3-manifold $M$ and $\gamma$ is a simple geodesic of length…

When a Dehn filled link manifold contains a geometrically incompressible one-sided surface, it is shown there is a unique boundary incompressible position that the surface can take in the link space. The proof uses a version of the…

Suppose $V\cup_S W$ is a weakly reducible Heegaard splitting of a closed 3-manifold which admits only $n$ pairs of disjoint compression disks on distinct sides and $g>2$. We show $V\cup_S W$ admits an untelescoping:…

A gap in a paper of Rubinstein-Scharlemann is explored: new examples are found of closed orientable 3-manifolds with possibly multiple genus 2 Heegaard splittings. Properties common to all the examples in the original paper are not…

We give a combinatorial proof of a theorem first proved by Souto which says the following. Let M_1 and M_2 be simple 3-manifolds with connected boundary of genus g>0. If M_1 and M_2 are glued via a complicated map, then every minimal…

Let $ 1 \rightarrow N \rightarrow G \rightarrow Q \rightarrow 1$ be an exact sequence of finitely presented groups where Q is infinite and not virtually cyclic, and is the fundamental group of some closed 3-manifold. If G is Kaehler, we…

A Heegaard diagram for a 3-manifold M is a closed, oriented surface S together with a pair (X, Y) of compact 1-manifolds in S whose components serve as attaching curves for the 2-handles of the two sides of a Heegaard splitting for M. The…

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 prove the following: 1. Let epsilon>0 and let S_1,S_2 be two closed hyperbolic surfaces. Then there exists locally-isometric covers S'_i of S_i (for i=1,2) such that there is a (1+\epsilon) bi-Lipschitz homeomorphism between S'_1 and…

In this survey we discuss how geometric methods can be used to study topological properties of 3-manifolds such as their Heegaard genus or the rank of their fundamental group. On the other hand, we also discuss briefly some results relating…

We prove that any finite collection of polygons of equal area has a common hinged dissection. That is, for any such collection of polygons there exists a chain of polygons hinged at vertices that can be folded in the plane continuously…

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 $d(P)\leq 2-\chi(Q-K)$,…

A 3-manifold is Haken if it contains a topologically essential surface. The Virtual Haken Conjecture says that every irreducible 3-manifold with infinite fundamental group has a finite cover which is Haken. Here, we discuss two interrelated…

For a boundary-reducible $3$-manifold $M$ with $\partial M$ a genus $g$ surface, we show that if $M$ admits a genus $g+1$ Heegaard surface $S$, then the disk complex of $S$ is simply connected. Also we consider the connectedness of the…

The notion of a complex tangent arises for embeddings of real manifolds into complex spaces. It is of particular interest when studying embeddings of real $n$-dimensional manifolds into $\mathbb{C}^n$. The generic topological structure of…

We prove a rigidity theorem for degree one maps between small 3-manifolds using Heegaard genus, and provide some applications and connections to Heegaard genus and Dehn surgery problems.

We address a conjecture that $\pi_1$-surjective maps between closed aspherical 3-manifolds having the same rank on $\pi_1$ must be of non-zero degree. The conjecture is proved for Seifert manifolds, which is used in constructing the first…

A general method for the construction of smooth flat connections on 3-manifolds is introduced. The procedure is strictly connected with the deduction of the fundamental group of a manifold M by means of a Heegaard splitting presentation of…

A random Heegaard splitting is a 3-manifold obtained by using a random walk of length n on the mapping class group as the gluing map between two handlebodies. We show that the joint distribution of random walks of length n and their…

Lei and Wu have given a description of the second homotopy group of a closed orientable 3-manifold in terms of the kernels of the epimorphisms from the fundamental group of a Heegaard splitting surface onto the fundamental groups of the two…