All Questions
41 questions
12
votes
1
answer
747
views
Isotopic diffeomorphisms of the sphere
Assume that $f:\mathbb{S}^n\to\mathbb{S}^n$ is a diffeomorphism and assume that there is an orientation preserving diffeomorphism $F:\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\to\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ such that $F|_{\mathbb{S}^n}=f$...
- 28k
2
votes
0
answers
146
views
Explicit S-duality map
$\DeclareMathOperator{\Th}{Th}$
The Thom space of a closed manifold $M$ ($\Th(M)$) is the $S$-dual to $M_+ (=M \cup \{pt\})$. Let $M$ be embedded in $\mathbf R^{n+k}$. I found the duality map from $S^...
1
vote
1
answer
256
views
Reference request and prerequisites for understanding the Sphere Theorem and the Loop Theorem in 3-manifold theory
As part of my directed studies project, my advisor has suggested that I completely understand the proof of the Sphere Theorem and the Loop Theorem in 3-manifold theory and explain it to him. I have ...
- 131
6
votes
1
answer
328
views
Does $\overline{\mathbb{C}P^2 \setminus B^4}$ embed (smoothly/topologically) in $\mathbb R^5$?
Question: Does $\overline{\mathbb{CP}^2 \setminus B^4}$ (that is the closure of complex projective plane minus a 4-ball) embed (smoothly/topologically/piecewise linearly) in $\mathbb R^5$?
Background: ...
- 976
3
votes
1
answer
236
views
Example of a non $\pi_1$-injective, degree one, self-map of a three-manifold
All manifolds will be assumed to be closed, oriented, and connected.
Let $f\colon M\to M$ be a map of degree $\pm 1$. It is not hard to show that $\pi_1(f)$ is surjective.
What is an example of a non ...
- 1,097
5
votes
0
answers
289
views
A certain kind of proof of the Hairy Ball Theorem
I'd just like to know if proofs of the Hairy Ball Theorem along the following lines are well-known or even somewhere in the literature.
From a given vector field $V_1$ on $S^2$, form another, $V_2$, ...
- 17.6k
40
votes
2
answers
2k
views
Can the nth projective space be covered by n charts?
That is, is there an open cover of $\mathbb{R}P^n$ by $n$ sets homeomorphic to $\mathbb{R}^n$?
I came up with this question a few years ago and I´ve thought about it from time to time, but I haven´t ...
- 10.6k
3
votes
1
answer
152
views
Reference request: Stallings-Epstein-Waldhausen construction
I am looking for a reference for the Stallings-Epstein-Waldhausen construction (constructing an incompressible surface in a 3-manifold from a nontrivial splitting of the fundamental group).
I know of ...
- 125
1
vote
0
answers
170
views
Uniqueness of collar neighborhoods for non-compact boundary case in smooth setting
Let $M$ be a smooth manifold and let $f_0, f_1 \colon [0, 1] \times
\partial M \to M$ be two smooth embeddings that are the identity map
on $\partial M \times\{0\} = \partial M$ . If $\partial M$ is
...
- 265
11
votes
2
answers
645
views
Local topology of Whitney stratified spaces
Let $M$ be a smooth manifold, let $\mathcal{P}$ be a Whitney stratification of $M$ and let $S\subset M$ be a stratum with closure $\overline{S}$.
Question: Does there exist an open neighborhood $U\...
- 1,138
5
votes
1
answer
248
views
Multisignature and homeomorphism type
In classical surgery theory, there is a map
$$L_{n+1}(\pi_1M)\to S(M^n)$$
Element in $L_{n+1}(\pi_1M)$ is realized as surgery obstruction of a surgery problem to $M\times I$ with one boundary piece ...
- 101
21
votes
0
answers
777
views
Is the mapping class group of $\Bbb{CP}^n$ known?
In his paper "Concordance spaces, higher simple homotopy theory, and applications", Hatcher calcuates the smooth, PL, and topological mapping class groups of the $n$-torus $T^n$. This requires an ...
- 9,580
2
votes
0
answers
543
views
Tubular neighbourhoods are unique up to ambient isotopy?
Let $M$ be a closed smooth submanifold of $N$. It is well known that tubular neigbourhoods of $M$ are diffeomorphic to the normal bundle of $M$ in $N$ and therefore to each other. Are they smoothly ...
- 313
3
votes
0
answers
228
views
Diffeomorphism classification of Grassmannian manifolds
Is anything known about the diffeomorphism classification of Grassmannian manifolds? I know that there are some results on projective spaces (for example in Lopez de Medrano's "Involutions on ...
- 93
10
votes
1
answer
828
views
Different definitions of the linking number
Assume that
$$
\iota_1:\mathbb{S}^k\to\mathbb{R}^n,
\quad
\iota_2:\mathbb{S}^\ell\to\mathbb{R}^n,
\quad
k+\ell=n-1,
$$
are two embeddings of spheres with disjoint images $\iota_1(\mathbb{S}^k)\cap\...
- 28k
6
votes
0
answers
321
views
Elementary questions about Morse-Bott functions
Let $M$ be a manifold, $F$ be a Morse-Bott function, $c$ be a critical level, and $M_c$ be the corresponding critical submanifold. Let us assume that $M_c$ is connected, and the index of $M_c$ is ...
- 14.3k
1
vote
0
answers
126
views
Flows commuting with Anosov flows and further reference request
Hello respected members of Mathoverflow. I was reading the paper "Flots d’Anosov dont les feuilletages stables sont différentiables" by Etienne Ghys and there was a statement which he remarked was ...
- 229
28
votes
3
answers
3k
views
Kirby's torus trick
My basic question is: What is Kirby's torus trick and why did it solve so many problems?
I can get a glimmer of it from looking at Kirby's original paper, "Stable Homeomorphisms and the Annulus ...
- 281
8
votes
1
answer
573
views
Majorana modes and the first Stiefel–Whitney class
The first Stiefel–Whitney class of a vector bundle is an element in the first cohomology group of the base space. Namely, the first Stiefel–Whitney class for a vector bundle $E$ over a $d$-dimensional ...
- 10.5k
14
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Who proved that two homotopic embeddings of one surface in another are isotopic?
If $\Sigma_1$ and $\Sigma_2$ are two compact topological surfaces with boundary and $\phi, \psi : \Sigma_1 \hookrightarrow \Sigma_2$ are two orientation-preserving embeddings that are homotopic, then ...
- 10.1k
4
votes
1
answer
197
views
Is the number of intervals you get by slicing the closed region under a nice graph continuous from below?
Let $I$ be a closed interval in $\mathbb{R}$, and let $f:I \to \mathbb{R}$ be a bounded function, smooth except at finitely many points (piece-wise smooth). There are also only finitely many critical ...
- 1,499
4
votes
1
answer
304
views
Local product structure of determinantal variety
The variety $X_n$ of singular $n\times n$ real matrices is stratified by smooth strata $X_{n,k}$ where $k$ is the rank. Choose a rank $k$ matrix $A\in X_{n,k}$. Is there a local diffeomorphism sending ...
- 16.6k
16
votes
0
answers
438
views
Survey of known results on equivariant transversality
Most basic differential topology theorems carry over to the equivariant case with mild modifications; see for instance Wasserman's paper. One thing that fails (more or less obviously) is equivariant ...
- 9,580
5
votes
0
answers
1k
views
Prerequisites for reading Gregory Perelman's work
What are the prerequisites for understanding the work of Perelman concerning the Poincaré conjecture?
I am referring to the last three papers here.
- 1,594
6
votes
2
answers
2k
views
How many metrics of constant curvature exist on a Riemannian surface?
I have been trying to determine the number of metrics of constant curvature on a surface of genus $n$, say $\Sigma$. For low values, the answer is clear, the moduli space is a point for the sphere, ...
- 841
1
vote
1
answer
265
views
Boundary components of a subsurface
Consider the following situation. Suppose we have a closed oriented Riemannian surface $ \Sigma $ and a connected open subset $ \Omega \subseteq \Sigma $ with a boundary, consisting of finitely many ...
- 337
5
votes
0
answers
461
views
When does a manifold 'deformation retract' into a small neighborhood of some k-dimensional subpolyhedron?
Under which conditions does a m-manifold $M^m$ admit a deformation retraction to a
small neighborhood of some k-dimensional subpolyhedron?
Or, under which conditions is the identity map $id_M$ of a ...
- 722
0
votes
1
answer
201
views
Ambient isotopy of the diagonal submanifold in product space
Given a closed manifold $M^n$ and its $k$-fold product space $M^n\times\cdots\times M^n$,Can the diagonal submanifold $\Delta:=\{(m,\cdots,m)\in (M^n)^k\mid m\in M\}$ be isotopied to the submanifold
$...
- 73
4
votes
1
answer
1k
views
Cap product à la Poincaré
Recently, it became apparent to me that I was not the only one who always first thought in terms of cap product before actually computing a cup product. There is no denying this is evil, but I found ...
- 4,432
10
votes
2
answers
876
views
Are there nontrivial involutions of $S^7\times S^7$ with fixed point set homeo to $S^7$?
The group $\mathbb{Z}_2$ acts on $S^7\times S^7$ by switching the coordinates with fixed point set $\Delta(S^7\times S^7)\cong S^7$. I want to know whether there are some other $\mathbb{Z}_2$ actions ...
- 888
7
votes
0
answers
448
views
Reference Request: Topological h-cobordism theorem in higher dimensions
I think this question on math.stackexchange is more appropriate on mathoverflow. Correct me, if you don't think so.
The h-cobordism theorem is true in the topological and in the smooth category in ...
- 71
39
votes
10
answers
4k
views
Are there some other notions of "curvature" which measure how space curves?
I am learning differential geometry and have a few questions on curvature. -- Background:
Gauss invented "Gauss curvature" to measure how surface curves.
Riemann gives an ingenious generalization of ...
6
votes
1
answer
522
views
consequence of Novikov conjecture
Novikov conjeture is a famous open problem in Geometric topology.It predicts that higher signature is oriented-homotopy invariant.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Novikov_conjecture
I am a student ...
- 153
23
votes
1
answer
3k
views
The cone on a manifold
I believe that I have run across the statement that if $X$ is a compact smooth manifold and $CX$ is the cone on $X$, i.e. $[0,1] \times X$ modulo $(0,x)\sim(0,y)$ for all $x,y \in X$, then $CX$ admits ...
- 26.3k
10
votes
1
answer
503
views
Is there an "exponential law" for differentiable maps between smooth manifolds?
Although it seems like a textbook question, I was not able to find a textbook or even a research article answering the following question:
Let $M$, $N$ and $P$ be finite-dimensional smooth manifolds ...
- 843
34
votes
1
answer
4k
views
Strong Whitney embedding theorem for non-compact manifolds
$\newcommand{\RR}{\mathbb{R}}$The present question arises from some confusion on my part regarding the precise statement of the strong Whitney embedding theorem for non-compact manifolds.
The strong ...
- 6,210
36
votes
2
answers
5k
views
Kervaire invariant: Why dimension 126 especially difficult?
Is there any resource that might help non-experts gains some understanding of why
the Kervaire invariant problem remains open now only in dimension $126$? ($126 =2^7-2=2^{j+1}-2$;
whether $\theta_j=\...
- 151k
11
votes
3
answers
4k
views
Reference request: gluing manifolds along pieces of boundary
I've been asked for a reference for the following construction and since I didn't know one, I thought I'd ask here if anyone did.
Consider two smooth manifolds with boundary of the same dimension, $M$...
- 26.8k
22
votes
4
answers
2k
views
Searching for an unabridged proof of "The Basic Theorem of Morse Theory"
Steven Smale labels the following statement "The Basic Theorem of Morse Theory" in A Survey of some Recent Developments in Differential Topology:
Let f be a $C^\infty$ function on a closed manifold ...
- 22.1k
7
votes
0
answers
208
views
How do metrics behave under joining along a manifold embedded in the boundary?
How do metrics behave under joining along a manifold embedded in the boundary?
This is, more-or-less, part of Problem 4.66 in Kirby's List:
Problem 4.66 How do metrics (e.g. Riemannian, Lorentz, ...
- 1,897
8
votes
2
answers
710
views
Stratification of smooth maps from R^n to R?
I'm interested in stratifications of smooth maps $\mathbb{R}^n\to\mathbb{R}$ (or more generally of any $n$-manifold $M^n\to\mathbb{R}$). The codimension 0 stratum should be Morse functions, and the ...
- 12.8k