Approximating <Emphasis Type="Italic">C</Emphasis><Superscript>0</Superscript>-foliations by contact structures

We show that any co-orientable foliation of dimension two on a closed orientable 3-manifold with continuous tangent plane field can be C ⁰-approximated by both positive and negative contact structures unless all leaves of the foliation are simply connected. As applications we deduce that the existence of a taut C ⁰-foliation implies the existence of universally tight contact structures in the same homotopy class of plane fields and that a closed 3-manifold that admits a taut C ⁰-foliation of codimension-1 is not an L-space in the sense of Heegaard-Floer homology.     

Propagation of boundary CR foliations and Morera type theorems for manifolds with attached analytic discs

We prove that homologically nontrivial generic smooth (2n−1)-parameter families of analytic discs in Cn, n?2, attached by their boundaries to a CR-manifold Ω, test CR-functions in the following sense: if a smooth function on Ω analytically extends into any analytic discs from the family, then the function satisfies tangential CR-equations on Ω. In particular, we give an answer (Theorem 1) to the following long standing open question, so called strip-problem, earlier solved only for special families (mainly for circles): given a smooth one-parameter family of Jordan curves in the plane and a function f admitting holomorphic extension inside each curve, must f be holomorphic on the union of the curves? We prove, for real-analytic functions and arbitrary generic real-analytic families of curves, that the answer is “yes,” if no point is surrounded by all curves from the family. The latter condition is essential. We generalize this result to characterization of complex curves in C² as real 2-manifolds admitting nontrivial families of attached analytic discs (Theorem 4). The main result implies fairly general Morera type characterization of CR-functions on hypersurfaces in C² in terms of holomorphic extensions into three-parameter families of attached analytic discs (Theorem 2). One of the applications is confirming, in real-analytic category, the Globevnik-Stout conjecture (Theorem 3) on boundary values of holomorphic functions. It is proved that a smooth function on the boundary of a smooth strictly convex domain in Cn extends holomorphically inside the domain if it extends holomorphically into complex lines tangent to a given strictly convex subdomain. The proofs are based on a universal approach, namely, on the reduction to a problem of propagation, from the boundary to the interior, of degeneracy of CR-foliations of solid torus type manifolds (Theorem 2.2).     

An α-approximation theorem for Q∞-manifolds

Given a Q^∞-manifold M and an open cover α of M, there is an open cover β of M such that every β-equivalence from a Q^∞-manifold N to M is α-close to a homeomorphism. Consequently, every Q^∞-deficient subset in a C^∞-manifold M is strongly negligible in M.     

A note on Hempel-McMillan coverings of 3-manifolds

Motivated by the concept of A-category of a manifold introduced by Clapp and Puppe, we give a different proof of a (slightly generalized) Theorem of Hempel and McMillan: If M is a closed 3-manifold that is a union of three open punctured balls then M is a connected sum of S³ and S²-bundles over S¹.     

Higher-order polynomial invariants of 3-manifolds giving lower bounds for the Thurston norm

We define an infinite sequence of new invariants, δ_n, of a group G that measure the size of the successive quotients of the derived series of G. In the case that G is the fundamental group of a 3-manifold, we obtain new 3-manifold invariants. These invariants are closely related to the topology of the 3-manifold. They give lower bounds for the Thurston norm which provide better estimates than the bound established by McMullen using the Alexander norm. We also show that the δ_n give obstructions to a 3-manifold fibering over S¹ and to a 3-manifold being Seifert fibered. Moreover, we show that the δ_n give computable algebraic obstructions to a 4-manifold of the form X×S¹ admitting a symplectic structure even when the obstructions given by the Seiberg-Witten invariants fail. There are also applications to the minimal ropelength and genera of knots and links in S³.     

On the property of kelley in the hyperspace and Whitney continua

In this paper, we introduce the notion of property [K]¹ which implies property [K], and we show the following: Let X be a continuum and let ω be any Whitney map for C(X). Then the following are equivalent. (1) X has property [K]¹. (2) C(X) has property [K]¹. (3) The Whitney continuum ω⁻¹(t) (0⩽t<ω(X)) has property [K]¹.As a corollary, we obtain that if a continuum X has property [K]¹, then C(X) has property [K] and each Whitney continuum in C(X) has property [K]. These are partial answers to Nadler's question and Wardle's question ([10, (16.37)] and [11, p. 295]).Also, we show that if each continuum X_n (n=1,2,3,…) has property [K]¹, then the product ∏X_n has property [K]¹, hence C(∏X_n) and each Whitney continuum have property [K]¹. It is known that there exists a curve X such that X has property [K], but X×X does not have property [K] (see [11]).     

Coverings of 3-manifolds by open balls and two open solid tori

Hempel and McMillan showed that a closed 3-manifold that can be covered by three open balls is a connected sum of S³- and S²-bundles over S¹. In this paper we obtain a classification of all closed 3-manifolds that can be covered by two open balls and one open solid torus or by one open ball and two open solid tori.     

Maskit combinations of Poincaré-Einstein metrics

We establish a boundary connected sum theorem for asymptotically hyperbolic Einstein metrics, and also show that if the two metrics have scalar positive conformal infinities, then the same is true for this boundary join. This construction is also extended to spaces with a finite number of interior conic singularities, and as a result we show that any 3-manifold which is a finite connected sum of quotients of S³ and S²×S¹ bounds such a space (with conic singularities); putatively, any 3-manifold admitting a metric of positive scalar curvature is of this form.     

Bifurcations of Morse-Smale diffeomorphisms with wildly embedded separatrices

We study bifurcations of Morse-Smale diffeomorphisms under a change of the embedding of the separatrices of saddle periodic points in the ambient 3-manifold. The results obtained are based on the following statement proved in this paper: for the 3-sphere, the space of diffeomorphisms of North Pole-South Pole type endowed with the C ¹ topology is connected. This statement is shown to be false in dimension 6.     

The stable topology of 4-manifolds

The stable theory (which allows connected sums with S²×S²) is unified and extended using current 4-manifold techniques. Principal new results are a stable 5-dimensional s-cobordism theorem, and the fact that 1-connected smooth 4-manifold pairs stably have handle decompositions with no 1-handles.     

Positive open book decompositions of Stein fillable 3-manifolds along prescribed links

It is known by Loi and Piergallini that a closed, oriented, smooth 3-manifold is Stein fillable if and only if it has a positive open book decomposition. In the present paper we will show that for every link L in a Stein fillable 3-manifold there exists an additional knot L^′ to L such that the link L∪L^′ is the binding of a positive open book decomposition of the Stein fillable 3-manifold. To prove the assertion, we will use the divide, which is a generalization of real morsification theory of complex plane curve singularities, and 2-handle attachings along Legendrian curves.     

Various types of Whitney maps on n-dimensional compact connected polyhedra (n ⩾ 2)

In [6], we defined an adequate index n(P) for 1-dimensional compact connected polyhedron P and we showed that Fd ω⁻¹(t) ⩽ n(P) − 1 for any Whitney map ω for C(P) and any t ∈ [0, ω(P)]. In this paper, we show that the similar result is not always true if P is any n-dimensional compact connected polyhedron (n ⩾ 2). In fact, we show the following: Let P be any n-dimensional compact connected polyhedron (n ⩾ 2). Let m be any natural number such that m ⩾ 2. Then there exists a Whitney map ω for C(P) such that the m-sphere S^m is homotopically dominated by ω⁻¹(t) for some t ∈ (0, ω(P)). In particular, Fd ω⁻¹(t) ⩾ m.     

Hartogs-Bochner type theorem in projective space

We prove the following Hartogs-Bochner type theorem: Let M be a connected C² hypersurface of P_n(C) (n≥2) which divides P_n(C) in two connected open sets Ω₁ and Ω₂. Suppose that M has at most one open CR orbit. Then there exists i∈{1,2} such that C¹ CR functions defined on M extends holomorphically to Ω _i . Supported by the TMR network.     

Wild cantor sets as approximations to codimension two manifolds

The main result establishes a technique for constructing wildly embedded Cantor sets in Euclidean n-space (n>2). For any (n−2)-manifold M embedded there with a closed neighborhood W homeomorphic to the product of M and a 2-cell, it gives a Cantor set C in W such that the only loops from the complement of W that are contractible in the complement of C are those that are contractible in the complement of M.     

Uniqueness of analytic continuation: Necessary and sufficient conditions

Necessary and sufficient conditions for uniqueness of analytic continuation are investigated for a system of m ? 1 first-order linear homogeneous partial differential equations in one unknown, with complex-valued $\text{b}$^∞ coefficients, in some connected open subset of $\text{R}$^k, k ? 2. The type of system considered is one for which there exists a real k-dimensional, $\text{b}$^∞, connected C-R submanifold M^k of $\text{C}$ⁿ, for k, n ? 2, such that the system may be identified with the induced Cauchy-Riemann operators on M^k. The question of uniqueness of analytic continuation for a system of partial differential equations is thus transformed to the question of uniqueness of analytic continuation for C-R functions on the manifold M^k ? Cⁿ. Under the assumption that the Levi algebra of M^k has constant dimension, it is shown that if the excess dimension of this algebra is maximal at every point, then M^k has the property of uniqueness of analytic continuation for its C-R functions. Conversely, under certain mild conditions, it is shown that if M^k has the property of uniqueness of analytic continuation for all $\text{b}$^∞ C-R functions, and if the Levi algebra has constant dimension on all of M^k, then the excess dimension must be maximal at every point of M^k.     

Regularity of finite-dimensional realizations for evolution equations

We show that a continuous local semiflow of C^k-maps on a finite-dimensional C^k-manifold M with boundary is in fact a local C^k-semiflow on M and can be embedded into a local C^k-flow around interior points of M under some weak assumption. This result is applied to an open regularity problem for finite-dimensional realizations of stochastic interest rate models.     

Monotonicity testing and shortest-path routing on the cube

We study the problem of monotonicity testing over the hypercube. As previously observed in several works, a positive answer to a natural question about routing properties of the hypercube network would imply the existence of efficient monotonicity testers. In particular, if any set of source-sink pairs on the directed hypercube (with all sources and all sinks distinct) can be connected with edge-disjoint paths, then monotonicity of functions $f:\{ 0,1\} ^n \to \mathcal{R}$ can be tested with O(n/∈) queries, for any totally ordered range $\mathcal{R}$ . More generally, if at least a µ(n) fraction of the pairs can always be connected with edge-disjoint paths then the query complexity is O(n/(∈µ(n))). We construct a family of instances of Ω(2 ⁿ ) pairs in n-dimensional hypercubes such that no more than roughly a $\frac{1} {{\sqrt n }}$ fraction of the pairs can be simultaneously connected with edge-disjoint paths. This answers an open question of Lehman and Ron [16], and suggests that the aforementioned appealing combinatorial approach for deriving query-complexity upper bounds from routing properties cannot yield, by itself, query-complexity bounds better than ≈ n ^3/2. Additionally, our construction can also be used to obtain a strong counterexample to Szymanski’s conjecture about routing on the hypercube. In particular, we show that for any δ > 0, the n-dimensional hypercube is not $n^{\tfrac{1} {2} - \delta }$ -realizable with shortest paths, while previously it was only known that hypercubes are not 1-realizable with shortest paths. We also prove a lower bound of Ω(n/∈) queries for one-sided non-adaptive testing of monotonicity over the n-dimensional hypercube, as well as additional bounds for specific classes of functions and testers.     

Characterizing omega-limit sets which are closed orbits

Let X be a vector field in a compact n-manifold M, n?2. Given Σ⊂M we say that q∈M satisfies (P)_Σ if the closure of the positive orbit of X through q does not intersect Σ, but, however, there is an open interval I with q as a boundary point such that every positive orbit through I intersects Σ. Among those q having saddle-type hyperbolic omega-limit set ω(q) the ones with ω(q) being a closed orbit satisfy (P)_Σ for some closed subset Σ. The converse is true for n=2 but not for n?4. Here we prove the converse for n=3. Moreover, we prove for n=3 that if ω(q) is a singular-hyperbolic set [C. Morales, M. Pacifico, E. Pujals, On C¹ robust singular transitive sets for three-dimensional flows, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris Sér. I 26 (1998) 81-86], [C. Morales, M. Pacifico, E. Pujals, Robust transitive singular sets for 3-flows are partially hyperbolic attractors or repellers, Ann. of Math. (2) 160 (2) (2004) 375-432], then ω(q) is a closed orbit if and only if q satisfies (P)_Σ for some Σ closed. This result improves [S. Bautista, Sobre conjuntos hiperbólicos-singulares (On singular-hyperbolic sets), thesis Uiversidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, 2005 (in Portuguese)] and [C. Morales, M. Pacifico, Mixing attractors for 3-flows, Nonlinearity 14 (2001) 359-378].     

Various types of local connectedness in n-fold hyperspaces

Let X be a continuum. The n-fold hyperspace Cn(X), n<∞, is the space of all nonempty compact subsets of X with the Hausdorff metric. Four types of local connectivity at points of Cn(X) are investigated: connected im kleinen, locally connected, arcwise connected im kleinen and locally arcwise connected. Characterizations, as well as necessary or sufficient conditions, are obtained for Cn(X) to have one or another of the local connectivity properties at a given point. Several results involve the property of Kelley or C^*-smoothness. Some new results are obtained for C(X), the space of subcontinua of X. A class of continua X is given for which Cn(X) is connected im kleinen only at subcontinua of X and for which any two such subcontinua must intersect.