Alternative to Morse-Novikov theory for a closed 1-form. I (Q2210171)

In [New topological invariants for real- and angle-valued maps. An alternative to Morse-Novikov theory. Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific (2018; Zbl 1384.58001)] the author defined an alternative to Morse-Novikov theory for tame maps \(f:X\to\mathbb{R}\) or \(f:X\to S^1\) on a locally compact ANR \(X\). In the present paper the theory is extended to tame topological closed 1-forms on compact ANRs. For instance, a locally polynomial closed differential 1-form on a closed smooth manifold \(X\) with all zeroes isolated is tame. It is not necessary that the zeroes of \(\omega\) are non-degenerate. A simplicial 1-cocycle on a finite simplical complex \(X\) that takes non-zero values on all 1-simplexes induces a tame TC1-form. Given a tame TC1-form \(\omega\), a coefficient field \(\kappa\) for (co-)homology, and a non-negative integer \(r\), the author defines two configurations, i.e. maps with finite support, \(\delta^\omega_r:\mathbb{R}\to\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}\) and \(\gamma^\omega_r:\mathbb{R}_{>0}\to\mathbb{Z}_{\ge0}\). In the case of a Morse closed 1-form with non-degenerate zeroes one can recover the Novikov-Betti numbers and the Novikov complex from these configurations. The paper contains basic properties of the configurations, the stability and Poincaré duality in the case of a \(\kappa\)-orientable closed topological manifold \(X\). The general case will be treated in a sequel to this paper.