Attaching handlebodies to 3-manifolds (Q1811534)

This very interesting paper can be viewed as a generalization of Thurston's hyperbolic Dehn surgery theorem (see [\textit{W. Thurston}, Three-dimensional geometry and topology, Princeton (1997; Zbl 0873.57001)]) and its extension by \textit{C. Hodgson} and \textit{S. Kerckhoff} [Universal bounds for hyperbolic Dehn surgery, preprint]. More precisely, let \(M\) be a compact, orientable, irreducible, atoroidal, acylindrical \(3\)-manifold with incompressible boundary. The author proves the existence of a finite collection \(\mathcal{C}\) of essential simple closed curves on the boundary \(\partial M\) with the following property. Suppose that \(H\) is a collection of handlebodies, and that \(\phi:\partial M\to \partial H\) is a homeomorphism that sends no curve in \(\mathcal{C}\) to the boundary of a disc in \(H\). Then the resulting manifold \(M\cup_{\phi}H\) is irreducible, atoroidal, word hyperbolic and not Seifert fibred. Moreover, there is an upper bound on the number of curves in \(\mathcal C\) that depends only on the genus of \(\partial M\) and is otherwise independent of \(M\). Furthermore, the fundamental group \(\pi_1(M\cup_{\phi}H)\) is infinite. The proof of these results follows two papers, namely one of the author [Invent. Math. 140, No. 2, 243-282 (2000; Zbl 0947.57016)] and the second one by \textit{J. Hass, S. Wang} and \textit{Q. Zhou} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 130, No. 6, 1851-1857 (2002; Zbl 0993.57007)]. Using some new techniques, involving arrangements of discs in a handlebody and a delicate counting argument, as well as an elementary application of the theory of pseudo-Anosov automorphisms, the author gives constructions of gluing maps satisfying the required property. Several open problems for further research are suggested by the author.