An Introduction to Contact Topology

ISBN-13: 9780521865852 / Angielski / Twarda / 2008 / 458 str.

Opis

This text on contact topology is the first comprehensive introduction to the subject, including recent striking applications in geometric and differential topology: Eliashberg's proof of Cerf's theorem via the classification of tight contact structures on the 3-sphere, and the Kronheimer-Mrowka proof of property P for knots via symplectic fillings of contact 3-manifolds. Starting with the basic differential topology of contact manifolds, all aspects of 3-dimensional contact manifolds are treated in this book. One notable feature is a detailed exposition of Eliashberg's classification of overtwisted contact structures. Later chapters also deal with higher-dimensional contact topology where the focus mainly on contact surgery, but other constructions of contact manifolds are described, such as open books or fibre connected sums.

Recenzje

'… a fundamental monograph … can be strongly recommended for graduate students and is indispensable for specialists in the field.' EMS Newsletter

Spis treści

Foreword; 1. Facets of Contact Geometry; 2. Contact Manifolds; 3. Knots in Contact 3-Manifolds; 4. Contact Structures on 3-Manifolds; 5. Symplectic Fillings and Convexity; 6. Contact Surgery; 7. Further Constructions of Contact Manifolds; 8. Contact Structures on 5-Manifolds; Appendix A. The generalised Poincaré lemma; Appendix B. Time-dependent vector fields; References; Notation Index; Author Index; Subject Index.