Symplectic fillings and cobordisms of lens spaces

Abstract

We complete the classification of symplectic fillings of tight contact structures on lens spaces. In particular, we show that any symplectic filling $X$ of a virtually overtwisted contact structure on $L(p,q)$ has another symplectic structure that fills the universally tight contact structure on $L(p,q)$. Moreover, we show that the Stein filling of $L(p,q)$ with maximal second homology is given by the plumbing of disk bundles. We also consider the question of constructing symplectic cobordisms between lens spaces and report some partial results.