The Århus integral of rational homology 3-spheres III: Relation with the Le-Murakami-Ohtsuki invariant (Q1764436)

This is the third paper in a series of four. In the first paper of the series [Sel. Math., New Ser. 8, 315--339 (2002; Zbl 1012.57015)], the authors defined a diagram-valued invariant of rational homology spheres which they called the Aarhus integral. They proved later that the Aarhus integral is a well-defined invariant of rational homology 3-spheres and that it is universal in the class of finite type invariants of integral homology spheres. In the paper under review, they continue this study. They establish a relationship between the Aarhus integral and the invariant \(\Omega\) (which they call LMO) defined by \textit{T. Le, J. Murakami} and \textit{T. Ohtsuki} in their paper [Topology 37, No. 3, 539--574 (1998; Zbl 0897.57017)]. The relation is through an interpretation of both constructions as ``integrated holonomies''. In the case of the Aarhus integral, the integration theory is ``formal Gaussian integration''. In the case of the LMO invariant, there is a basic ingredient, which is a map which Le, Murakami and Ohtsuki denote by \(j_m\), and which the paper under review interprets as a ``formal negative dimensional integration''. The result of this paper is obtained as a consequence of a relationship between the two integration theories.