Exponential separation in 4–manifolds

We use a new geometric construction, grope splitting, to give a sharp bound for separation of surfaces in 4–manifolds. We also describe applications of this technique in link-homotopy theory, and to the problem of locating $π_{1}$ –null surfaces in 4–manifolds. In our applications to link-homotopy, grope splitting serves as a geometric substitute for the Milnor group.

Keywords

4–manifolds, gropes, $\pi_1$–null immersions, link homotopy

Mathematical Subject Classification 2000

Primary: 57N13

Secondary: 57M25, 57N35, 57N70

References

Forward citations

Publication

Received: 27 June 2000

Accepted: 3 November 2000

Published: 10 November 2000

Proposed: Robion Kirby

Seconded: Wolfgang Metzler, Cameron Gordon

Authors

Vyacheslav S Krushkal
Department of Mathematics Yale University New Haven Connecticut 06520-8283 USA

Volume 4, issue 1 (2000)

Vyacheslav S Krushkal