A sum formula for the Casson-Walker invariant (Q1273156)

The main result of this paper is a formula which relates the Casson-Walker invariant of rational homology spheres obtained by cutting and reattaching along a Heegaard surface. Let \(M\) be a rational homology sphere and \(\Sigma\subseteq M\) an imbedded closed surface which splits \(M\) into two rational homology handlebodies \(A, B\). Then \(\mathcal L_A ,\mathcal L_B\subseteq H_1 (\Sigma)\), the kernels of the inclusions into \(A,B\), respectively, are transverse, i.e. \(\mathcal L_A\cap\mathcal L_B =0\). Suppose \(A' ,B '\) are two other rational homology handlebodies with \(\partial A '=\partial B '=\Sigma\) and such that \(\mathcal L_{A '}=\mathcal L_A\), \(\mathcal L_{B '}=\mathcal L_B\). Then we can define three more rational homology spheres : \(A '\cup B, A\cup B ' ,A '\cup B '\). The main theorem is a formula for the quantity : \[ \lambda (A\cup B)-\lambda (A '\cup B)-\lambda (A\cup B ')+\lambda (A '\cup B ')\tag{\(\ast\)} \] where \(\lambda\) denotes the Casson-Walker invariant. If \(T= A\cup (-A ')\), then there is a canonical isomorphism \(H_1 (T)\cong\mathcal L_A\). Thus the triple cup product in \(T\) defines an element \(\alpha\) in the dual space \(\Lambda^3 (\mathcal L_A)^{\ast}\)---this is closely related to the Johnson homomorphism. Similarly we have \(\beta\in\Lambda^3 (\mathcal L_B)^{\ast}\). The intersection pairing on \(H_1 (\Sigma)\) defines a pairing of \(\Lambda^3 (\mathcal L_A)^{\ast}\) and \( \Lambda^3 (\mathcal L_B)^{\ast}\) into \(\mathbf Q\). The theorem then says that the quantity in equation (\(\ast\)) is \(-2\alpha\cdot\beta\). It is pointed out that, as a special case of this formula, one obtains a formula proved by Morita in his work on the Casson invariant and the Torelli group. Let \(f,g \in \mathcal T_g\), where \(\mathcal T_g\) (the Torelli group) denotes the group of diffeotopy classes of diffeomorphisms of the closed oriented surface \(\Sigma\) of genus \(g\) which are homologically the identity. Denote by \(\lambda (f),\lambda (g),\lambda (f\circ g)\) the Casson invariants of the homology spheres obtained by cutting open and reattaching along the standardly imbedded \(\Sigma\subseteq S^3\) using these diffeomorphisms. Morita obtains a formula for the quantity \(\lambda (f\circ g)-\lambda (f)-\lambda (g)\) in terms of the Johnson homomorphism applied to \(f\) and \(g\). The theorem in the present paper is essentially a generalization of Morita's formula to more general \(f,g\) and allowing \(\Sigma\) to be a Heegaard surface in an arbitrary rational homology sphere. Finally an extension of this formula to apply to the author's generalized Casson invariant is given.