Pseudoholomorphic maps into folded symplectic four-manifolds (Q873939)

A folding map is a map like \(x \mapsto \left(x_1^2,x_2,\dots,x_n\right)\). The set \(x_1=0\) is called the fold. A folded symplectic structure is a closed 2-form which looks locally like the pull back of a symplectic form by a fold. Every oriented 4-manifold admits a folded symplectic structure. Von Bergmann's programme, begun in this article, aims to generalize the theory of pseudoholomorphic curves to all oriented 4-manifolds, presumably to make the equation \(\text{GW}=\text{SW}\) of Taubes hold for all oriented 4-manifolds. Von Bergmann defines a concept of pseudoholomorphic map of a folded Riemann surface into a folded symplectic 4-manifold. His definition is very surprising, since the maps are discontinuous across the fold. At each side of the fold, the pseudoholomorphic curve is required to meet an end of a Riemann surface living inside the fold, called a tunnelling map. Von Bergmann considers the boundary value problem of pseudoholomorphic folded maps into a folded symplectic 4-manifold with folded almost complex structure, with matched asymptotics by a tunnelling map. He proves that this problem has a Fredholm linearization, under the assumption that the fold and all data are invariant under a circle action. He computes out examples for the 4-sphere and an elliptic fibration, which solidly motivate the surprising definition.