Unstabilized self-amalgamation of a Heegaard splitting (Q1935855)

Let \(M\) be a compact orientable 3-manifold and \(M= V\cup _S W\) a Heegaard splitting of \(M\) along a closed surface \(S\) with bodies \(V\) and \(W\). A Heegard splitting \(M= V\cup _S W\) is called stabilized if there are essential discs \(D\) in \(V\) and \(E\) in \(W\) such that \(D\) intersects \(E\) in just one point; otherwise it is unstabilized. For any two essential closed curves \(\alpha \) and \(\beta\) on \(S\) let \(d(\alpha , \beta )\) denote the smallest integer \(n\geq 0\) such that there is a sequence of essential closed curves \(\alpha _0, \dots, \alpha _n\) on \(S\) so that \(\alpha _{i-1}\) is disjoint from \(\alpha _i\) for \(0\leq i\leq n\). The distance \(d(S)\) of the Heegaard surface \(S\) is defined to be the number \(min\{d(\alpha , \beta )\}\) where \(\alpha \) bounds an essential disc in \(V\) and \(\beta\) bounds an essential disc in \(W\). Let \(F\) be a non-separating surface in the manifold \(M\) with \(g(F)\geq 1\), \(F\times I\) the regular neighborhood of \(F\) in \(M\) and \(M_1=M\setminus F\times (0,1)\). Then the manifold \(M\) is obtained from the manifold \(M_1\) by gluing surfaces \(F\times \{0\}\) and \(F\times \{1\}\) along a homeomorphism \(f: F\times \{0\}\to F\times \{1\}\) . Let \(M_1=V_1\cup _{S_1} W_1\) be a Heegard splitting of the manifold \(M_1\). Then the manifold \(M\) has a natural Heegaard splitting called the self-amalgamation of the splitting \(V_1\cup _{S_1} W_1\). It is known that in some cases the self-amalgamation of an unstabilized Heegaard splitting can be stabilised. However self-amalgamations of high distance Heegaard splittings are unstabilised [\textit{C.-N. Lee}, Math. Z. 222, No. 2, 231--245 (1996; Zbl 0879.55005)]. Moreover all known examples on stabilized amalgamations and self-amalgamations of Heegaard splittings have one summand with Heegaard distance at most two. The following question arises naturally: Question. Is there a constant \(k\) such that the self-amalgamation of a distance at least \(k\) Heegaard splitting is unstabilized? The main result of the authors in the paper under review is Theorem 1 which answers the above mentioned question and claims that the self-amalgamation of a distance at least \(3\) Heegaard splitting is unstabilised.