Associativity properties of the symplectic sum (Q5961477): Difference between revisions

The authors use a 4-fold sum operation introduced by the second author to prove an associativity rule for the symplectic sum. Two applications of this result are given: 1. Let \(E(n)\) be the elliptic surface which is the \(n\)-fold branched cover of \(E(1)= \mathbb{C} P^2 \# 9 \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^2\) along a pair of fibres. Then the manifolds \(E(4) \#_Q \mathbb{C} P^2\) and \(E(3) \#_{T_1}Y\) are symplectically deformation equivalent, where \(Q\) is a quadric curve in \(\mathbb{C} P^2\), \(T_1\) is a torus and \(Y= \mathbb{C} P^2 \#8 \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^2\) along \(T_1\). This result completes those by Stipsicz and Gompf who have shown that they have the same Donaldson invariants and thus are diffeomorphic. 2. The blow-up points can be traded from one side of a symplectic sum to another without changing the symplectic deformation class.