arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Frank Quinn.
Concerns decompositions of smooth 4-manifolds as the union of two handlebodies, each with handles of index <=2 (``Heegard'' decompositions).Sample result: Two 2-complexes are (up to 2-deformation) dual spines of a Heegard decomposition of the 4-sphere if and only if they satisfy the conclusions of the Alexander-Lefshetz duality theorem ($H_1K\simeq H^2L$ and $H_2K\simeq H^1L$).
A group-category is an additively semisimple category with a monoidal product structure in which the simple objects are invertible. For example in the category of representations of a group, 1-dimensional representations are the invertible simple objects. This paper gives a detailed exploration of "topological quantum field theories" for group-categories, in hopes of finding clues to a better understanding of the general situation. Group-categories are classified in several ways extending results of Froelich and Kerler. Topological field theories based on homology and cohomology are constructed, and these are shown to include theories obtained from group-categories by Reshetikhin-Turaev constructions. Braided-commutative categories most naturally give theories on 4-manifold thickenings of 2-complexes; the usual 3-manifold theories are obtained from these by normalizing them (using results of Kirby) to depend mostly on the boundary of the thickening. This is worked out for group-categories, and in particular we determine when the normalization is possible and when it is not.
The authors discuss various objections and rejoinders in the collected responses [math.HO/9404229,math.HO/9404236] to their original article on the relationship between mathematics and theoretical physics [math.HO/9307227].
Is speculative mathematics dangerous? Recent interactions between physics and mathematics pose the question with some force: traditional mathematical norms discourage speculation, but it is the fabric of theoretical physics. In practice there can be benefits, but there can also be unpleasant and destructive consequences. Serious caution is required, and the issue should be considered before, rather than after, obvious damage occurs. With the hazards carefully in mind, we propose a framework that should allow a healthy and positive role for speculation.
These theories, which are surely some of the simplest possible quantum field theories, were introduced in a paper of Dijkgraaf and Witten. The path integral reduces to a finite sum, so it is quite amenable to direct mathematical study. Although the theory exisits in arbitrary dimensions, it is most interesting in $2+1$~dimensions, where it has a ``modular structure.'' This is related to quantum groups, and the precise details may give clues as to what happens in other contexts. This paper is written using AMSTeX 2.1, which can be obtained via ftp from the American Mathematical Society (instructions included). 1 encapsulated postscript file was submitted separately in uuencoded tar-compressed format.
We pose a representation-theoretic question motivated by an attempt to resolve the Andrews-Curtis conjecture. Roughly, is there a triangular Hopf algebra with a collection of self-dual irreducible representations $V_i$ so that the product of any two decomposes as a sum of copies of the $V_i$, and $\sum (\rank V_i)^2=0$? This data can be used to construct a `topological quantum field theory' on 2-complexes which stands a good chance of detecting counterexamples to the conjecture.