Related papers: An obstruction to smooth isotopy in dimension 4

We describe an example of a $C^\infty$ diffeomorphism on a 7--manifold which has a compact invariant set such that uncountably many of its connected components are pseudocircles. (Any 7--manifold will suffice.) Furthermore, any…

We obtain topological obstructions to the existence of a complete Riemannian metric with uniformly positive scalar curvature on certain (non-compact) $4$-manifolds. In particular, such a metric on the interior of a compact contractible…

We establish constraints on the topology of smooth Lefschetz fibrations with $4$-dimensional fibers, by studying the family Bauer-Furuta invariant. To compute this invariant, we analyze the framed bordism class of 1-dimensional…

A smooth, compact 4-manifold with a Riemannian metric and b^(2+) > 0 has a non-trivial, closed, self-dual 2-form. If the metric is generic, then the zero set of this form is a disjoint union of circles. On the complement of this zero set,…

Let $M$ be a smooth manifold. When $\Gamma$ is a group acting on the manifold $M$ by diffeomorphisms one can define the $\Gamma$-co-invariant cohomology of $M$ to be the cohomology of the differential complex…

Finite-order invariants of knots in arbitrary 3-manifolds (including non-orientable ones) are constructed and studied by methods of the topology of discriminant sets. Obstructions to the integrability of admissible weight systems to…

This is the beginning of an obstruction theory for deciding whether a map f:S^2 --> X^4 is homotopic to a topologically flat embedding, in the presence of fundamental group and in the absence of dual spheres. The first obstruction is Wall's…

We implement the method developed in [1] to construct the most general parametrised action for linear cosmological perturbations of bimetric theories of gravity. Specifically, we consider perturbations around a homogeneous and isotropic…

Gauging is a powerful operation on symmetries in quantum field theory (QFT), as it connects distinct theories and also reveals hidden structures in a given theory. We initiate a systematic investigation of gauging discrete generalized…

Mutation is an operation on 3-manifolds containing an embedded surface of genus 2. It is defined by cutting along the surface and regluing using the `hyperelliptic' involution, and is known to preserve many 3-manifold invariants. I show…

We construct an invariant of closed ${\rm spin}^c$ 4-manifolds using families of Seiberg-Witten equations. This invariant is formulated as a cohomology class on a certain abstract simplicial complex consisting of embedded surfaces of a…

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 compute in many classes of examples the first potentially interesting homotopy group of the space of embeddings of either an arc or a circle into a manifold $M$ of dimension $d\geq4$. In particular, if $M$ is a simply connected…

We consider the Lie group of smooth diffeomorphisms Diff$(M)$ of a simple polytope $M$ in the euclidean space. Simple polytopes are special cases of manifolds with corners. The geometric setting allows to study in particular, the subgroup…

New estimates are derived concerning the behavior of self-dual hamonic 2-forms on a compact Riemannian 4-manifold with non-trivial Seiberg-Witten invariants. Applications include a vanishing theorem for certain Seiberg-Witten invariants on…

Seiberg-Witten theory leads to a delicate interplay between Riemannian geometry and smooth topology in dimension four. In particular, the scalar curvature of any metric must satisfy certain non-trivial estimates if the manifold in question…

Topological classification of the 4-manifolds bridges computation theory and physics. A proof of the undecidability of the homeomorphy problem for 4-manifolds is outlined here in a clarifying way. It is shown that an arbitrary Turing…

Every smooth homotopy 4-sphere is diffeomorphic to the 4-sphere.

We present a 4-dimensional generally covariant gauge theory which leads to the Gauss constraint but lacks both the Hamiltonian and spatial diffeomorphism constraints. The canonical theory therefore resembles Yang-Mills theory without the…

The notion of a measure on the space of connections modulo gauge transformations that is invariant under diffeomorphisms of the base manifold is important in a variety of contexts in mathematical physics and topology. At the formal level,…