Finite type invariants of rational homology 3-spheres (Q1938750)

This paper extends a celebrated result in the quantum topology of integral homology spheres (\(\mathbb{Z}\text{HS}\)) to rational homology spheres (\(\mathbb{Q}\text{HS}\)). The space generated by formal sums of integral homology spheres forms a graded vector space, with grading induced by the Goussarov-Habiro filtration (clasper surgery, or Borromean surgery). As a corollary to the LMO invariant being a universal finite type invariant of \(\mathbb{Z}\text{HS}\)s, this graded space turns out to be isomorphic to a graded space of trivalent Jacobi diagrams. The Goussarov-Habiro filtration was reformulated by Auclair and Lescop in terms of \(\mathbb{Z}\)-LP surgery, that is integral homology handlebody replacements (replacing a handlebody in a homology sphere by a certain sort of integral homology handlebody). The space generated by formal sums of rational homology spheres has a grading induced by \(\mathbb{Q}\)-LP surgeries, i.e. by rational homology handlebody replacements. This paper identifies this graded space with a graded space of augmented Jacobi diagrams (unions of trivalent Jacobi diagrams with points marked by prime integers), implying that the filtration induced by \(\mathbb{Q}\)-LP surgeries is remarkably similar to the filtration induced by \(\mathbb{Z}\)-LP surgeries on \(\mathbb{Q}\text{HS}\)s. The isomorphism is proved using a universality statement for the Kontsevich-Kuperberg-Thurston (KKT) invariant due to Lescop. The author remarks that her results combine with a result of Massuyeau to imply that the LMO invariant and the KKT invariant of rational homology spheres contain essentially equivalent information.