Constructions of smooth 4-manifolds (Q1126768)

This is a survey paper on the classification problem of simply connected closed smooth 4-manifolds, up to diffeomorphism, faced by techniques, constructions, and computations arising from the Seiberg-Witten and Donaldson theories (as references see for example [\textit{P. B. Kronheimer} and \textit{T. S. Mrowka}, J. Differ. Geom. 41, No. 3, 573-734 (1995; Zbl 0842.57022); \textit{E. Witten}, Math. Res. Lett. 1, No. 6, 769-796 (1994; Zbl 0867.57029); \textit{S. K. Donaldson}, Topology 29, No. 3, 257-315 (1990; Zbl 0715.57007); \textit{R. Fintushel} and \textit{R. J. Stern}, J. Differ. Geom. 42, No. 3, 577-633 (1995; Zbl 0863.57021)]. In particular, the authors describe several constructions (i.e. the knot surgery construction, the rim surgery, branched covering spaces) giving many classes of exotic (i.e. homeomorphic but non-diffeomorphic) 4-manifolds with the same Seiberg-Witten invariants. Many applications on exotic symplectic 4-manifolds complete the paper. One can also find many interesting relationships between Seiberg-Witten type invariants and the Alexander polynomials of the knots involved in the above mentioned constructions.