Related papers: Smooth Structures on $M\times\mathbb{S}^k$

Let $M$ be a compact $4$-manifold and let $S$ and $T$ be embedded $2$-spheres in $M$, both with trivial normal bundle. We write $M_S$ and $M_T$ for the $4$-manifolds obtained by the Gluck twist operation on $M$ along $S$ and $T$…

Let M be a closed simply connected n-manifold of positive sectional curvature. We determine its homeomorphism or homotopic type if M also admits an isometric elementary p-group action of large rank. Our main results are: There exists a…

Given manifolds $M$ and $N$, with $M$ compact, we study the geometrical structure of the space of embeddings of $M$ into $N$, having less regularity than $\mathcal C^\infty$, quotiented by the group of diffeomorphisms of $M$.

We compute the homotopy type of the moduli space of flat, unitary connections over aspherical surfaces, after stabilizing with respect to the rank of the underlying bundle. Over the orientable surface M^g, we show that this space has the…

We apply the strategy to study of diffeomorphisms via block diffeomorphisms to the world of positive scalar curvature (psc) metrics. For each closed psc manifold $M$, we construct the cubical set $\widetilde{\mathcal{R}^{+}_{\bullet}}(M)$…

Given a closed $n$-manifold, we consider the set of simple homotopy types of $n$-manifolds within its homotopy type, called its simple homotopy manifold set. We characterise it in terms of algebraic K-theory, the surgery obstruction map,…

Let M be a closed 5-manifold of pinched curvature 0<\delta\le \text{sec}_M\le 1. We prove that M is homeomorphic to a spherical space form if M satisfies one of the following conditions: (i) \delta =1/4 and the fundamental group is a…

For the quaternionic unit ball $\mathbb{B}$, let us denote by $\mathcal{M}(\mathbb{B})$ the set of slice regular M\"obius transformations mapping $\mathbb{B}$ onto itself. We introduce a smooth manifold structure on…

The structure space S(M) of a closed topological m-manifold M classifies bundles whose fibers are closed m-manifolds equipped with a homotopy equivalence to M. We construct a highly connected map from S(M) to a concoction of algebraic…

We prove that the inertia groups of all sufficiently-connected, high-dimensional $(2n)$-manifolds are trivial. This is a key step toward a general classification of manifolds in the metastable range. Specifically, for $m \gg 0$ and…

We define \emph{piecewise rank 1} manifolds, which are aspherical manifolds that generally do not admit a nonpositively curved metric but can be decomposed into pieces that are diffeomorphic to finite volume, irreducible, locally symmetric,…

Two constructions of contact manifolds are presented: (i) products of S^1 with manifolds admitting a suitable decomposition into two exact symplectic pieces and (ii) fibre connected sums along isotropic circles. Baykur has found a…

We prove a homological stability theorem for moduli spaces of simply-connected manifolds of dimension $2n > 4$, with respect to forming connected sum with $S^n \times S^n$. This is analogous to Harer's stability theorem for the homology of…

The structure set $\ST^{TOP}(M)$ of an $n$-dimensional topological manifold $M$ for $n \geqslant 5$ has a homotopy invariant functorial abelian group structure, by the algebraic version of the Browder-Novikov-Sullivan-Wall surgery theory.…

Let C_n(M) be the configuration space of n distinct ordered points in M. We prove that if M is any connected orientable manifold (closed or open), the homology groups H_i(C_n(M); Q) are representation stable in the sense of [Church-Farb].…

We consider the general problem of constructing the structure of a smooth manifold on a given space of loops in a smooth finite dimensional manifold. By generalising the standard construction for smooth loops, we derive a list of conditions…

We consider the problem of defining the structure of a smooth manifold on the various spaces of piecewise-smooth loops in a smooth finite dimensional manifold. We succeed for a particular type of piecewise-smooth loops. We also examine the…

For a closed smooth manifold $M$ admitting a symplectic structure, we define a smooth topological invariant $Z(M)$ using almost-K\"ahler metrics, i.e. Riemannian metrics compatible with symplectic structures. We also introduce $Z(M,…

Let $M$ be a smooth, orientable, closed, connected $4$-manifold and suppose that $H_1(M;\mathbb{Z})$ is finitely generated and has no $2$-torsion. We give a homotopy decomposition of the suspension of $M$ in terms of spheres, Moore spaces…

Smale-Barden manifolds $M$ are classified by their second homology $H_2(M,{\mathbb Z})$ and the Barden invariant $i(M)$. It is an important and dificult question to decide when $M$ admits a Sasakian structure in terms of these data. In this…