Virtual Betti numbers and virtual symplecticity of 4-dimensional mapping tori. II (Q1701247)

If \(E\) is an \(F\)-bundle over \(\mathbb S^1\) and \(\varphi\) is the monodromy, then the following notation is used \(E=F\rtimes_\varphi\mathbb S^1\) or \(E=F\rtimes\mathbb S^1\). The virtual first Betti number \(vb_1\) of a manifold M is defined to be \(vb_1(M)=\sup\{b_1(\widetilde M);\;\widetilde M\}\in\mathbb Z^+\cup\{0,\infty\}\), where \(\widetilde M\) is a finite cover of \(M\) and \(b_1\) is the first Betti number. A 4-manifold \(X\) is said to be virtually symplectic if a finite cover of \(X\) admits a symplectic structure. In Part I of this paper, [Math. Z. 277, No. 1--2, 195--208 (2014; Zbl 1298.57015)], \textit{T.-J. Li} and the present author considered virtual properties of 4-dimensional mapping tori. They computed the virtual first Betti numbers of 4-dimensional mapping tori with irreducible fibers and showed that such manifolds are virtually symplectic. In this paper, the author deals with reducible fibers. It is shown that if \(X=Y\rtimes\mathbb S^1\) is a closed 4-manifold and \(Y\) is reducible, then \(vb_1=\infty\) unless \(Y=\mathbb S^2\times\mathbb S^1\) or \(\mathbb RP^3\#\mathbb RP^3\). Also, the author shows that if \(X=Y\rtimes\mathbb S^1\) is a closed symplectic 4-manifold and \(Y\) is reducible, then \(Y=\mathbb S^2\times\mathbb S^1\) and \(X=\mathbb S^2\times\mathbb T^2\) or \(X=\mathbb S^2\widetilde\times\mathbb T^2\), where \(\mathbb S^2\widetilde\times\mathbb T^2\) is the unique nontrivial oriented \(\mathbb S^2\)-bundle over \(\mathbb T^2\). Finally, it is proven that if \(X=Y\rtimes\mathbb S^1\) is a closed 4-manifold and \(Y\) is reducible, then \(X\) is virtually symplectic if and only if \(Y=\mathbb S^2\times\mathbb S^1\) or \(\mathbb RP^3\#\mathbb RP^3\).