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Nikolai Saveliev

Publications and source records attributed to Nikolai Saveliev.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2024

The Benard-Conway invariant of two-component links

The Benard-Conway invariant of links in the 3-sphere is a Casson-Lin type invariant defined by counting irreducible SU(2) representations of the link group with fixed meridional traces. For two-component links with linking number one, the invariant has been shown to equal a symmetrized multivariable link signature. We extend this result to all two-component links with non-zero linking number. A key ingredient in the proof is an explicit calculation of the Benard-Conway invariant for (2, 2n)-torus links with the help of the Chebyshev polynomials.

math.GT↗
arXiv2024

Instanton Floer homology and Milnor Fibers

In the early days of the Floer theory, Atiyah asked if there is a Milnor fiber description of the Floer homology of the links of singularities. We answer this question for the Brieskorn-Hamm complete intersection singularities. The resulting combinatorial formulas lead to an independent proof of the equality of the Casson invariants in the Donaldson and Seiberg-Witten theories. We use similar techniques to express the Heegaard Floer d-invariant of torus knots in terms of their Milnor fibers.

math.GT↗
arXiv2022

Topological obstructions to the diagonalisation of pseudodifferential systems

Given a matrix pseudodifferential operator on a smooth manifold, one may be interested in diagonalising it by choosing eigenvectors of its principal symbol in a smooth manner. We show that diagonalisation is not always possible, on the whole cotangent bundle or even in a single fibre. We identify global and local topological obstructions to diagonalisation and examine physically meaningful examples demonstrating that all possible scenarios can occur.

math.AP↗
arXiv2021

On the spectral sets of Inoue surfaces

The Inoue surfaces are certain non-Kaehler complex surfaces that have the structure of a $T^3$ bundle over the circle. We study the Inoue surfaces $S_M$ with the Tricerri metric and the canonical spin$^c$ structure, and the corresponding chiral Dirac operators twisted by a flat $\mathbb C^*$--connection. The twisting connection is determined by $z \in \mathbb C^*$, and the points for which the twisted Dirac operators $\mathcal D^{\pm}_z$ are not invertible are called spectral points. We show that there are no spectral points inside the annulus $α^{-1/4} < |z| < α^{1/4}$, where $α>1$ is the only real eigenvalue of the matrix $M$ that determines $S_M$, and find the spectral points on its boundary. Via Taubes' theory of end-periodic operators, this implies that the corresponding Dirac operators are Fredholm on any end-periodic manifold whose end is modeled on $S_M$.

math.GT↗
arXiv2020

On the monopole Lefschetz number of finite order diffeomorphisms

Let $K$ be a knot in an integral homology 3-sphere $Y$, and $Σ$ the corresponding $n$-fold cyclic branched cover. Assuming that $Σ$ is a rational homology sphere (which is always the case when $n$ is a prime power), we give a formula for the Lefschetz number of the action that the covering translation induces on the reduced monopole homology of $Σ$. The proof relies on a careful analysis of the Seiberg--Witten equations on 3-orbifolds and of various $η$-invariants. We give several applications of our formula: (1) we calculate the Seiberg--Witten and Furuta--Ohta invariants for the mapping tori of all semi-free actions of $Z/n$ on integral homology 3-spheres; (2) we give a novel obstruction (in terms of the Jones polynomial) for the branched cover of a knot in $S^3$ being an $L$-space; (3) we give a new set of knot concordance invariants in terms of the monopole Lefschetz numbers of covering translations on the branched covers.

math.GT↗
arXiv2020

Classification of first order sesquilinear forms

A natural way to obtain a system of partial differential equations on a manifold is to vary a suitably defined sesquilinear form. The sesquilinear forms we study are Hermitian forms acting on sections of the trivial $\mathbb{C}^n$-bundle over a smooth $m$-dimensional manifold without boundary. More specifically, we are concerned with first order sesquilinear forms, namely, those generating first order systems. Our goal is to classify such forms up to $GL(n,\mathbb{C})$ gauge equivalence. We achieve this classification in the special case of $m=4$ and $n=2$ by means of geometric and topological invariants (e.g. Lorentzian metric, spin/spin$^c$ structure, electromagnetic covector potential) naturally contained within the sesquilinear form - a purely analytic object. Essential to our approach is the interplay of techniques from analysis, geometry, and topology.

math.AP↗
arXiv2019

On positive scalar curvature cobordisms and the conformal Laplacian on end-periodic manifolds

We show that the periodic $η$-invariants introduced by Mrowka--Ruberman--Saveliev~\cite{MRS3} provide obstructions to the existence of cobordisms with positive scalar curvature metrics between manifolds of dimensions $4$ and $6$. The proof combines a relative version of the Schoen--Yau minimal surface technique with an end-periodic index theorem for the Dirac operator. As a result, we show that the bordism groups $Ω^{spin,+}_{n+1}(S^1 \times BG)$ are infinite for any non-trivial group $G$ which is the fundamental group of a spin spherical space form of dimension $n=3$ or $5$.

math.DG↗
arXiv2018

On the Frøyshov invariant and monopole Lefschetz number

Given an involution on a rational homology 3-sphere $Y$ with quotient the $3$-sphere, we prove a formula for the Lefschetz number of the map induced by this involution in the reduced monopole Floer homology. This formula is motivated by a variant of Witten's conjecture relating the Donaldson and Seiberg--Witten invariants of 4-manifolds. A key ingredient is a skein-theoretic argument, making use of an exact triangle in monopole Floer homology, that computes the Lefschetz number in terms of the Murasugi signature of the branch set and the sum of Frøyshov invariants associated to spin structures on $Y$. We discuss various applications of our formula in gauge theory, knot theory, contact geometry, and 4-dimensional topology.

math.GT↗
arXiv2017

A splitting theorem for the Seiberg-Witten invariant of a homology $S^1 \times S^3$

We study the Seiberg-Witten invariant $λ_{\rm{SW}} (X)$ of smooth spin $4$-manifolds $X$ with integral homology of $S^1\times S^3$ defined by Mrowka, Ruberman, and Saveliev as a signed count of irreducible monopoles amended by an index-theoretic correction term. We prove a splitting formula for this invariant in terms of the Frøyshov invariant $h(X)$ and a certain Lefschetz number in the reduced monopole Floer homology of Kronheimer and Mrowka. We apply this formula to obstruct existence of metrics of positive scalar curvature on certain 4-manifolds, and to exhibit new classes of integral homology $3$-spheres of Rohlin invariant one which have infinite order in the homology cobordism group.

math.GT↗
arXiv2017

Analytic definition of spin structure

We work on a parallelizable time-orientable Lorentzian 4-manifold and prove that in this case the notion of spin structure can be equivalently defined in a purely analytic fashion. Our analytic definition relies on the use of the concept of a non-degenerate two-by-two formally self-adjoint first order linear differential operator and gauge transformations of such operators. We also give an analytic definition of spin structure for the 3-dimensional Riemannian case.

math.DG↗
arXiv2015

Link homology and equivariant gauge theory

The singular instanton Floer homology was defined by Kronheimer and Mrowka in connection with their proof that the Khovanov homology is an unknot detector. We study this theory for knots and two-component links using equivariant gauge theory on their double branched covers. We show that the special generator in the singular instanton Floer homology of a knot is graded by the knot signature mod 4, thereby providing a purely topological way of fixing the absolute grading in the theory. Our approach also results in explicit computations of the generators and gradings of the singular instanton Floer chain complex for several classes of knots with simple double branched covers, such as two-bridge knots, torus knots, and Montesinos knots, as well as for several families of two-components links.

math.GT↗
arXiv2015

On the deleted squares of lens spaces

The configuration space $F_2 (M)$ of ordered pairs of distinct points in a manifold $M$, also known as the deleted square of $M$, is not a homotopy invariant of $M$: Longoni and Salvatore produced examples of homotopy equivalent lens spaces $M$ and $N$ of dimension three for which $F_2 (M)$ and $F_2 (N)$ are not homotopy equivalent. In this paper, we study the natural question whether two arbitrary $3$-dimensional lens spaces $M$ and $N$ must be homeomorphic in order for $F_2 (M)$ and $F_2 (N)$ to be homotopy equivalent. Among our tools are the Cheeger--Simons differential characters of deleted squares and the Massey products of their universal covers.

math.AT↗
arXiv2014

An index theorem for end-periodic operators

We extend the Atiyah, Patodi, and Singer index theorem for first order differential operators from the context of manifolds with cylindrical ends to manifolds with periodic ends. This theorem provides a natural complement to Taubes' Fredholm theory for general end-periodic operators. Our index theorem is expressed in terms of a new periodic eta-invariant that equals the Atiyah-Patodi-Singer eta-invariant in the cylindrical setting. We apply this periodic eta-invariant to the study of moduli spaces of Riemannian metrics of positive scalar curvature.

math.DG↗
arXiv2013

Index theory of the de Rham complex on manifolds with periodic ends

We study the de Rham complex on a smooth manifold with a periodic end modeled on an infinite cyclic cover X' \to X. The completion of this complex in exponentially weighted L^2-norms is Fredholm for all but finitely many exceptional weights determined by the eigenvalues of the covering translation map H_*(X') \to H_*(X'). We calculate the index of this weighted de Rham complex for all weights away from the exceptional ones.

math.GT↗
arXiv2013

Casson-type invariants from the Seiberg-Witten equations

This is a survey of our recent work with Tom Mrowka on Seiberg-Witten gauge theory and index theory for manifolds with periodic ends. We explain how this work leads to a new invariant, which is related to the classical Rohlin invariant of homology 3-spheres and to the Furuta-Ohta invariant originating in Yang-Mills gauge theory. We give some new calculations of our invariant for 4-dimensional mapping tori.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Instanton Floer homology for two-component links

For any link of two components in an integral homology sphere, we define an instanton Floer homology whose Euler characteristic is the linking number between the components of the link. We relate this Floer homology to the Kronheimer-Mrowka instanton Floer homology of knots. We also show that, for two-component links in the 3-sphere, the Floer homology does not vanish unless the link is split.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Seiberg-Witten equations, end-periodic Dirac operators, and a lift of Rohlin's invariant

We introduce a gauge-theoretic integer lift of the Rohlin invariant of a smooth 4-manifold X with the homology of $S^1 \times S^3$. The invariant has two terms; one is a count of solutions to the Seiberg-Witten equations on X, and the other is essentially the index of the Dirac operator on a non-compact manifold with end modeled on the infinite cyclic cover of X. Each term is metric (and perturbation) dependent, and we show that these dependencies cancel as the metric and perturbation vary in a 1-parameter family.

math.GT↗