A minimal triangulation of the Hopf map and its application (Q1590666)

A proper simplicial version of the Hopf map \(h:S^3\to S^2\) requires at least 12 vertices because \(S^2\) requires at least four and each fibre \(S^1\) requires at least three. So one needs at least four disjoint fibres over the four vertices. In the present paper the authors give a nice geometric construction of such a minimal simplicial Hopf map \(\eta:S^3_{12}\to S^2_4\). The 12-vertex triangulation \(S^3_{12}\) of the 3-sphere is built up by two twisted solid tori which look like subdivided triangular prisms with top and bottom identified. In a subsequent paper the authors gave minimal simplicial versions of branched coverings of the 2-sphere onto itself [Minimal simplicial self-maps of the 2-sphere, ibid. 84, No. 1-3, 25-33 (2001)].