An introduction to triangulations of 3-dimensional manifolds

J Hyam Rubinstein, University of Melbourne

Time: December 20th, 3:10pm - 5:00pm

Address: Room 1328 at BICMR, Resource Plaza, Peking University

The classical theory of algorithms for 3-manifolds, is based on the theory of normal surfaces, which can be viewed as a polyhedral or discrete version of minimal surfaces. Normal surfaces are local minima for the number of intersections with the one skeleton of a triangulation. Having triangulations for which key features of normal surface theory work similar to minimal surface theory in hyperbolic geometry, leads to practical implementation of algorithms. A review will be given of the recent solution of a question of Thurston from the 1980s, namely that the Seifert-Weber hyperbolic manifold is non Haken. The latter is work with Stephan Tillmann and Ben Burton.