Floer homology groups for homology three-spheres (Q1178487)

Recently \textit{A. Floer} [Commun. Math. Phys. 118, 215-240 (1988; Zbl 0684.53027)] has defined eight new homology groups for oriented three-dimensional homology spheres. The definition of these groups makes heavy use of the theory of gauge fields on three- and four-manifolds, as it has been developed during the last decade by Uhlenbeck, Taubes, Donaldson, and others. The purpose of this note is to give an introductory, rather detailed description of these interesting groups. We also discuss some further structure on these groups, the computations of Floer homology for the Brieskorn homology 3-spheres by Fintushel and Stern, and the relation with Donaldson polynomials for 4-manifolds. Here and there some further conjectures have been inserted.