Computing Matveev's complexity via crystallization theory: the orientable case (Q2509163)

By means of the notion of GM-complexity (Gem-Matveev complexity) introduced in [\textit{M. R. Casali}, Topology Appl. 144, 201--209 (2004; Zbl 1059.57010)], the present paper performs a graph-theoretical approach to the computation of (Matveev's) complexity for closed orientable 3-manifolds. In particular, the existing crystallization catalogue \(C^{28}\), which contains 69 closed connected prime orientable 2-maniforlds, available in [\textit{S. Lins}, Gems, computers and attractors for 3-manifolds, Series on Knots and Everything 5, World Scientific, (Singapore), (1995; Zbl 0868.57002)] is used to obtain upper bounds for the complexity of closed orientable 3-manifolds triangulated by at most 28 tetrahedra. The experimental results actually coincide with the exact values of complexity, for all but three elements. Moreover, in the case of at most 26 tetrahedra, the exact value of the complexity is shown to be always directly computable via crystallization theory.