This monograph covers in a unified manner new results on smooth functions on manifolds. A major topic is Morse and Bott functions with a minimal number of singularities on manifolds of dimension greater than five. Sharko computes obstructions to deformation of one Morse function into another on a simply connected manifold. In addition, a method is developed for constructing minimal chain complexes and homotopical systems in the sense of Whitehead. This leads to conditions under which Morse functions on non-simply-connected manifolds exist. Sharko also describes new homotopical invariants of...
This monograph covers in a unified manner new results on smooth functions on manifolds. A major topic is Morse and Bott functions with a minimal numbe...