Related papers: On the mapping class groups of 4-manifolds with 1-…

We define an invariant $(W_3)_m$ for $\pi_0\mathrm{Diff}(\natural_m S^1\times D^3,\partial)$ for $m\geq 1$ that generalizes Budney--Gabai's $W_3$ invariant. We give a computational framework inspired by Budney--Gabai and use it to calculate…

We show that the homotopy type of a 4-manifold $M$ whose fundamental group is a finitely presentable $PD_3$-group $\pi$ and with $w_1(M)=w_1(\pi)$ is determined by $\pi$, $\pi_2(M)$, $k_1(M)$ and the equivariant intersection pairing…

This paper is the second part of our work on 4-dimensional 2-handlebodies. In the first part (arXiv:math.GT/0407032) it is shown that up to certain set of local moves, connected simple coverings of B^4 branched over ribbon surfaces,…

Let $\pi=\pi_1(M)$ for a compact 3-manifold $M$, and let $\chi_4$, $p$ and $q^*$ be the invariants of Hausmann-Weinberger, Kotschick and Hillman respectively. For certain class of compact 3-manifolds $M$, including all those not containing…

We give a criterion on a group $\pi$ and a homomorphism $w \colon \pi \to C_2$ under which closed $4$-manifolds with fundamental group $\pi$ and orientation character $w$ are classified up to homotopy equivalence by their quadratic…

Let M be a 4-manifold with residually finite fundamental group G having b_1(G) > 0. Assume that M carries a symplectic structure with trivial canonical class K = 0 in H^2(M). Using a theorem of Bauer and Li, together with some classical…

We show that the smooth $4$-manifold $M$ obtained by attaching a $2$-handle to $B^4$ along a certain knot $K\subset \partial B^4$ admits infinitely many absolutely exotic copies $M_n$, $n=0,1,2..$, such that each copy $M_n$ is obtained by…

This paper continues the study of decompositions of a smooth 4-manifold into two handlebodies with handles of index $\leq2$. Part I gave existence results in terms of spines and chain complexes over the fundamental group of the ambient…

Suppose $\Gamma$ is a finite group acting freely on $S^{n}$ ($n\geqslant 3$ being odd) and $M$ is any closed oriented $n$-manifold. We show that, given an integer $k$, the set $\deg^{-1}(k)$ of based homotopy classes of mappings with degree…

For a given group $G$, we construct an invariant of flat $G$-connections on 4-manifolds from a finite type involutory quasitriangular Hopf $G$-algebra. Hopf $G$-algebras are generalizations of Hopf algebras, equipped with gradings by $G$.…

Closed oriented 4-manifolds with the same geometrically 2-dimensional fundamental group (satisfying certain properties) are classified up to $s$-cobordism by their $w_2$-type, equivariant intersection form and the Kirby-Siebenmann…

This is an overview article. After an introduction to convenient calculus in infinite dimensions, the foundational material for manifolds of mappings is presented. The central character is the smooth convenient manifold $C^{\infty}(M,N)$ of…

The notion of a Bing cell is introduced, and it is used to define invariants, link groups, of 4-manifolds. Bing cells combine some features of both surfaces and 4-dimensional handlebodies, and the link group \lambda(M) measures certain…

A compact oriented 4-manifold is defined to be of ``superconformal simple type'' if certain polynomials in the basic classes (constructed using the Seiberg-Witten invariants) vanish identically. We show that all known 4-manifolds of…

We relate degree one grasper families of embedded circles to various constructions of diffeomorphisms found in the literature -- theta clasper classes of Watanabe, barbell diffeomorphisms of Budney and Gabai, and twin twists of Gay and…

We consider embeddings of 3-manifolds in $S^4$ such that each of the two complementary regions has an abelian fundamental group. In particular, we show that an homology handle $M$ has such an embedding if and only if $\pi_1(M)'$ is perfect,…

An example of a finite dimensional factorizable ribbon Hopf C-algebra is given by a quotient H=u_q(g) of the quantized universal enveloping algebra U_q(g) at a root of unity q of odd degree. The mapping class group M_{g,1} of a surface of…

We give complete geometric invariants of cobordisms of framed fold maps. These invariants consist of two types. We take the immersion of the fold singular set into the target manifold together with information about non-triviality of the…

Let $M$ be a closed, oriented, smooth $4-$manifold with intersection form $\Gamma$, $A(\Gamma)$ the automorphism group of $\Gamma$ and $D(M)$ the subgroup induced by orientation-preserving diffeomorphisms of $M$. In this note we study the…

We note that infinitely many irreducible, closed, simply connected 4-manifolds, with prescribed signature and spin type, admit perfect Morse functions, i.e. they can be given handle decompositions without 1- and 3-handles. In particular,…