Existence of nonsingular closed 1-forms in a de Rham cohomology class (Q1805186)

The paper is concerned with the following problem: Let \(M\) be a compact, connected manifold without boundary and let \(\alpha_0\) be a closed 1- form on \(M\). Is it possible to find a function \(g: M\to R\), such that \(\alpha= \alpha_0+ dg\) is non singular? i.e., such that it does not vanish at any point of the manifold? This problem has been studied before but only when the cohomology class of \(\alpha_0\) satisfies some conditions. Nevertheless, the techniques used there cannot be applied to the general case. Now the author deals with this problem directly and without additional conditions. The method he uses is to try to remove the critical points of a Morse 1-form. The cornerstone is the analysis of the spaces of paths with basepoint at infinity. Given \(u\in H^1(M, R)\) he defines the spaces \({\mathcal M}_{\pm u}= \{\gamma: [0, +\infty[\to M: \gamma(0)= x_0\) and \(\int^t_0 \gamma^* \alpha\to_{t\to +\infty}\pm\infty\), where \(\alpha\) is in the class of \(u\}\) with a suitable topology. The main result is the following theorem. Let \(M\) be a compact, connected manifold without boundary and \(\dim M\geq 6\) and let \(u\in H^1(M, R)\). There is a closed nonsingular 1-form in the same class of \(u\) if and only if the spaces \({\mathcal M}_u\) and \({\mathcal M}_{- u}\) are contractible and the Whitehead-Franz-Reidemeister torsion of the Novikov homology vanishes [see \textit{S. P. Novikov}, Sov. Math., Dokl. 24, 222-226 (1981); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 260, 31-35 (1981; Zbl 0505.58011) and Russ. Math. Surv. 37, No. 5, 1-56 (1982); translation from Usp. Mat. Nauk 37, No. 5(227), 3-49 (1982; Zbl 0571.58011)]. Moreover, it is proved that contractibility of the spaces \({\mathcal M}_u\) and \({\mathcal M}_{- u}\) is equivalent to the conditions 1) \(u\) and \(- u\) are stable and 2) the Novikov homology vanishes.