Title: Three-manifolds of splice type

Walter Neumann (Columbia University)

Tuesday, November 23 at 1:30pm in Malott 406

Abstract:

Graph manifolds live on the gray side of three-manifold theory. They were classified (almost forty years ago) by Waldhausen, so there seems little more to say about them; moreover, the classification is combinatorial and not particularly attractive. I will describe two different ways to bring out their color by viewing them through fuzzy lenses.