Topological canal foliations (Q2414887)

This article introduces the notion of a topological canal foliation of a 3-dimensional manifold. Furthermore it classifies the compact oriented 3-manifolds that support such foliations. This notion generalizes that of a geometric canal foliation previously studied by \textit{R. Langevin} and \textit{P. G. Walczak} [J. Math. Soc. Japan 64, No. 2, 659--682 (2012; Zbl 1297.53021)]. The latter are codimension-1 foliations of 3-manifolds of constant curvature whose leaves, when lifted to the universal covering space form, are surfaces which are the envelopes of one-parameter families of spheres. Topological canal foliations are defined by topological rather than by geometric conditions.