\(PD_4\)-complexes and 2-dimensional duality groups (Q2058915)

It remains an open problem to give a homotopy classification of closed \(4\)-manifolds or \(\textrm{PD}_4\)-complexes, in terms of standard invariants such as the fundamental group, characteristic classes and intersection pairings. The paper under review is a synthesis and extension of the author's previous papers which explored the role of minimality in the classification of \(\textrm{PD}_4\)-complexes, in particular, those with fundamental group \(\pi\) such that the cohomological dimension of \(\pi\), c.d. \(\pi=0\) and \(\pi\) has one end. The basic notion is that of strongly minimal \(\textrm{PD}_4\)-complexes, one for which the equivariant intersection pairing is identically \(0\). The interactions of cohomology of groups, Poincaré duality and the lower stages of Postnikov towers are central to the arguments. The first main result is that two \(\textrm{PD}_4\)-complexes with the same strongly minimal model are homotopy equivalent if and only if their intersection pairings are isometric. If c.d. \(\pi\leq 2\) every such complex has a strongly minimal model. The second half of the paper focuses largely on determining the minimal models. In particular, if \(\pi\) is a surface group or is a semidirect product \(F(r)\rtimes\mathbb{Z}\), then the homotopy type of \(X\) is determined by \(\pi\), the Stiefel-Whitney classes and the equivariant intersection pairing. The paper concludes with an application to 2-knots and a short list of questions for further research. For the entire collection see [Zbl 1459.37002].