arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Christoforos Neofytidis.
We survey recent advancements on the realisation problem for mapping degree sets. In particular, we explain that any finite set containing zero is the mapping degree set between some $n$-manifolds, for each $n\geq3$. Our building factors for the construction of the realising manifolds will be aspherical manifolds. Thus, along the way, we review a couple of open questions related to maps of non-zero degree for aspherical manifolds.
We show that all self-maps of non-zero degree of $3$-manifolds not covered by $S^3$ and of Thurston geometric $4$-manifolds and their connected sums not covered by $N\#(\#_{p\geq0}S^2\times S^2)\#(\#_{q\geq0}\mathbb C P^2)$, where $N$ is an $S^2\times\mathbb X^2$ or $S^3\times\mathbb R$ manifold, are $π_1$-injective. We thus determine when these maps induce $π_1$-isomorphisms. The results in dimension three were previously established by Shicheng Wang. We give a uniform group theoretic proof in all cases based only on the residual finiteness of the fundamental groups for the $π_1$-injectivity and then only on numerical invariants for the $π_1$-isomorphisms.
For each $m\geq0$ and any prime $p\equiv3\ \mathrm{(mod \ 4)}$, we construct strongly chiral rational homology $(4m+3)$-spheres, which have real hyperbolic fundamental groups and only non-zero integral intermediate homology groups isomorphic to $\mathbb{Z}_{2p}$ in degrees $1,2m+1$ and $4m+1$. This gives group theoretic analogues in high dimensions of the existence of strongly chiral hyperbolic rational homology $3$-spheres, as well as of the existence of strongly chiral hyperbolic manifolds of any dimension that are not rational homology spheres, which was shown by Weinberger. One of our tools will be $r$-spins. We thus investigate the relationship between the sets of degrees of self-maps of a given manifold and its $r$-spins, and give classes of manifolds for which the sets are equal.
Let $E_i$ be an oriented circle bundle over a closed oriented aspherical $n$-manifold $M_i$ with Euler class $e_i\in H^2(M_i;\mathbb{Z})$, $i=1,2$. We prove the following: (i) If every finite-index subgroup of $π_1(M_2)$ has trivial center, then any non-zero degree map from $E_1$ to $E_2$ is homotopic to a fiber-preserving map. (ii) The mapping degree set of fiber-preserving maps from $E_1$ to $E_2$ is given by $$\{0\} \cup\{k\cdot \mathrm{deg}(f) \ | \, k\ne 0, \ f\colon M_1\to M_2 \, \text{with} \, \mathrm{deg}(f)\ne 0 \ \text{such that}\, f^\#(e_2)=ke_1\},$$ where $f^\# \colon H^2(M_2;\mathbb{Z})\to H^2(M_1;\mathbb{Z})$ is the induced homomorphism. As applications of (i) and (ii), we obtain the following results with respect to the finiteness and the realization problems for mapping degree sets: ($\mathcal F$) The mapping degree set $D(E_1, E_2)$ is finite if $M_2$ is hyperbolic and $e_2$ is not torsion. ($\mathcal R$) For any finite set $A$ of integers containing $0$ and each $n>2$, $A$ is the mapping degree set $D(M,N)$ for some closed oriented $n$-manifolds $M$ and $N$. Items (i) and ($\mathcal F$) extend in all dimensions $\geq 3$ the previously known $3$-dimensional case (i.e., for maps between circle bundles over hyperbolic surfaces). Item ($\mathcal R$) gives a complete answer to the realization problem for finite sets (containing $0$) in any dimension, establishing in particular the previously unknown cases in dimensions $n= 4, 5$.
We determine which closed orientable $3$-manifolds $M$ admit a self-homeomorphism restricting to a pseudo-Anosov map on an incompressible subsurface $Σ$, which we call a pseudo-Anosov surface. When $M$ is irreducible, we show that the self-homeomorphism of $M$ is isotopic rel $Σ$ to a "partially pseudo-Anosov" homeomorphism, a notion that we will introduce. This is motivated by the corresponding results for Anosov tori in irreducible $3$-manifolds, and the connection to partially hyperbolic diffeomorphisms, obtained by F. Rodriguez-Hertz, J. Rodriguez-Hertz and R. Ures.
We classify in terms of Hopf-type properties mapping tori of residually finite Poincaré Duality groups with non-zero Euler characteristic. This generalises and gives a new proof of the analogous classification for fibered 3-manifolds. Various applications are given. In particular, we deduce that rigidity results for Gromov hyperbolic groups hold for the above mapping tori with trivial center.
Following Thurston's geometrisation picture in dimension three, we study geometric manifolds in a more general setting in arbitrary dimensions, with respect to the following problems: (i) The existence of maps of non-zero degree (domination relation or Gromov's order); (ii) The Gromov-Thurston monotonicity problem for numerical homotopy invariants with respect to the domination relation; (iii) The existence of Anosov diffeomorphisms (Anosov-Smale conjecture).
We show that if a closed oriented $n$-manifold $M$ has a non-trivial cohomology class of even degree $k$, whose all pullbacks to products of type $S^1\times N$ vanish, then the topological complexity $\mathrm{TC}(M)$ is at least $6$, if $n$ is odd, and at least $7$ or $9$, if $n$ is even. These bounds extend and improve a result of Mescher and apply for instance to negatively curved manifolds and to connected sums with at least one such summand. In fact, better bounds are obtained due to the non-vanishing of the Gromov norm. As a consequence, in dimension four, we completely determine the topological complexity of these connected sums, namely we show that it is equal to its maximum value nine. Furthermore, we discuss realisation of degree two homology classes by tori, and show how to construct non-realisable classes out of realisable classes in connected sums. The examples of this paper will quite often be aspherical manifolds whose fundamental groups have trivial center and connected sums. We thus discuss the possible relation between the maximum topological complexity $2n+1$ and the triviality of the center for aspherical $n$-manifolds and their connected sums.
The set of degrees of maps $D(M,N)$, where $M,N$ are closed oriented $n$-manifolds, always contains $0$ and the set of degrees of self-maps $D(M)$ always contains $0$ and $1$. Also, if $a,b\in D(M)$, then $ab\in D(M)$; a set $A\subseteq\mathbb Z$ so that $ab\in A$ for each $a,b\in A$ is called multiplicative. On the one hand, not every infinite set of integers (containing $0$) is a mapping degree set [NWW] and, on the other hand, every finite set of integers (containing $0$) is the mapping degree set of some $3$-manifolds [CMV]. We show the following: (i) Not every multiplicative set $A$ containing $0,1$ is a self-mapping degree set. (ii) For each $n\in\mathbb N$ and $k\geq3$, every $D(M,N)$ for $n$-manifolds $M$ and $N$ is $D(P,Q)$ for some $(n+k)$-manifolds $P$ and $Q$. As a consequence of (ii) and [CMV], every finite set of integers (containing $0$) is the mapping degree set of some $n$-manifolds for all $n\neq 1,2,4,5$.
Given two closed oriented manifolds $M,N$ of the same dimension, we denote the set of degrees of maps from $M$ to $N$ by $D(M,N)$. The set $D(M,N)$ always contains zero. We show the following (non-)realisability results: (i) There exists an infinite subset $A$ of $\mathbb Z$ containing $0$ which cannot be realised as $D(M,N)$, for any closed oriented $n$-manifolds $M,N$. (ii) Every finite arithmetic progression of integers containing $0$ can be realised as $D(M,N)$, for some closed oriented $3$-manifolds $M,N$. (iii) Together with $0$, every finite geometric progression of positive integers starting from $1$ can be realised as $D(M,N)$, for some closed oriented manifolds $M,N$.
We prove that a circle bundle over a closed oriented aspherical manifold with hyperbolic fundamental group admits a self-map of absolute degree greater than one if and only if it is virtually trivial. This generalizes in every dimension the case of circle bundles over hyperbolic surfaces, for which the result was known by the work of Brooks and Goldman on the Seifert volume. As a consequence, we verify the following strong version of a problem of Hopf for the above class of manifolds: Every self-map of non-zero degree of a circle bundle over a closed oriented aspherical manifold with hyperbolic fundamental group is either homotopic to a homeomorphism or homotopic to a non-trivial covering and the bundle is virtually trivial. As another application, we derive the first examples of non-vanishing numerical invariants that are monotone with respect to the mapping degree on non-trivial circle bundles over aspherical manifolds with hyperbolic fundamental groups in any dimension.
We introduce an axiomatic definition for the Kodaira dimension and classify Thurston geometries in dimensions $\leq 5$ in terms of this Kodaira dimension. We show that the Kodaira dimension is monotone with respect to the partial order defined by maps of non-zero degree between 5-manifolds. We study the compatibility of our definition with traditional notions of Kodaira dimension, especially the highest possible Kodaira dimension. To this end, we establish a connection between the simplicial volume and the holomorphic Kodaira dimension, which in particular implies that any smooth Kähler 3-fold with non-vanishing simplicial volume has top holomorphic Kodaira dimension.
A long-standing conjecture asserts that any Anosov diffeomorphism of a closed manifold is finitely covered by a diffeomorphism which is topologically conjugate to a hyperbolic automorphism of a nilpotent manifold. In this paper, we show that any closed 4-manifold that carries a Thurston geometry and is not finitely covered by a product of two aspherical surfaces does not support (transitive) Anosov diffeomorphisms.
Given a reducible $3$-manifold $M$ with an aspherical summand in its prime decomposition and a homeomorphism $f\colon M\to M$, we construct a map of degree one from a finite cover of $M\rtimes_f S^1$ to a mapping torus of a certain aspherical $3$-manifold. We deduce that $M\rtimes_f S^1$ has virtually infinite first Betti number, except when all aspherical summands of $M$ are virtual $T^2$-bundles. This verifies all cases of a conjecture of T.-J. Li and Y. Ni, that any mapping torus of a reducible $3$-manifold $M$ not covered by $S^2\times S^1$ has virtually infinite first Betti number, except when $M$ is virtually $(\#_n T^2\rtimes S^1)\#(\#_mS^2\times S^1)$. Li-Ni's conjecture was recently confirmed by Ni with a group theoretic result, namely, by showing that there exists a $π_1$-surjection from a finite cover of any mapping torus of a reducible $3$-manifold to a certain mapping torus of $\#_m S^2\times S^1$ and using the fact that free-by-cyclic groups are large when the free group is generated by more than one element.
In this note we determine all possible dominations between different products of manifolds, when none of the factors of the codomain is dominated by products. As a consequence, we determine the finiteness of every product-associated functorial semi-norm on the fundamental classes of the aforementioned products. These results give partial answers to questions of M. Gromov.
We prove that any mapping torus of a closed 3-manifold has zero simplicial volume. When the fiber is a prime 3-manifold, classification results can be applied to show vanishing of the simplicial volume, however the case of reducible fibers is by far more subtle. We thus analyse the possible self-homeomorphisms of reducible 3-manifolds, and use this analysis to produce an explicit representative of the fundamental class of the corresponding mapping tori. To this end, we introduce a new technique for understanding self-homeomorphisms of connected sums in arbitrary dimensions on the level of classifying spaces and for computing the simplicial volume. In particular, we extend our computations to mapping tori of certain connected sums in higher dimensions. Our main result completes the picture for the vanishing of the simplicial volume of fiber bundles in dimension four. Moreover, we deduce that dimension four together with the trivial case of dimension two are the only dimensions where all mapping tori have vanishing simplicial volume. As a group theoretic consequence, we derive an alternative proof of the fact that the fundamental group $G$ of a mapping torus of a 3-manifold $M$ is Gromov hyperbolic if and only if $M$ is virtually a connected sum $\# S^2\times S^1$ and $G$ does not contain $\mathbb{Z}^2$.
We compute the sets of degrees of maps between principal $SU(2)$-bundles over $S^5$, i.e. between any of the manifolds $SU(2)\times S^5$ and $SU(3)$. We show that the Steenrod squares provide the only obstruction to the existence of a mapping degree between these manifolds, and construct explicit maps realizing each integer that occurs as a mapping degree. Added Erratum. After this manuscript was accepted for publication by Transformation Groups, Xueqi Wang pointed out a mistake in our paper. At the end of this arXiv version we add an erratum, where we correct the statement and the proof of Theorem 1.1.
We study aspherical manifolds that do not support Anosov diffeomorphisms. Weakening conditions of Gogolev and Lafont, we show that the product of an infranilmanifold with finitely many aspherical manifolds whose fundamental groups have trivial center and finite outer automorphism group does not support Anosov diffeomorphisms. In the course of our study, we obtain a result of independent group theoretic and topological interest on the stability of the Hopf property, namely, that the product of finitely many Hopfian groups with trivial center is Hopfian.