Link cobordisms and absolute gradings on link Floer homology (Q2422569)

In an earlier paper, the author introduced a new tool in link Floer homology to prove geometric results: link cobordism maps for \(\mathcal{C}\mathcal{F}\mathcal{L}^\infty\) for decorated cobordisms. [J. Topol. 12, No. 1, 94--220 (2019; Zbl 1455.57020)] In this paper, the author shows that these maps are graded and satisfy a grading change formula. Using this grading change formula, he shows a new bound on Ozsváth, Stipsicz, and Szabó's concordance invariant \(\Upsilon_K(t)\). [\textit{P. S. Ozsváth} et al., Adv. Math. 315, 366--426 (2017; Zbl 1383.57020)] Specifically, he shows that if \((W, \Sigma):(S^3, K_1) \to (S^3, K_2)\) is an oriented knot cobordism satisfying \(b_1(W) = b_2^+(W) = 0\), then \[ \Upsilon_{K_2}(t) \geq \Upsilon_{K_1}(t) + M_{[\Sigma]}(t) + g(\Sigma)\cdot(|t-1|-1), \] where \[ M_{[\Sigma]}(t) = \max_C \frac{C^2 + b_2(W) -2t \langle C, [\Sigma] \rangle + 2t([\Sigma] \cdot [\Sigma])}{4}, \] for \(C\) varying over the set of characteristic vectors of \(H^2(W; \mathbb{Z})/\text{Tors}\). He also uses these techniques to give conceptually simple proofs of inequalities relating to Ozsváth and Szabó's \(\tau\) invariant and Rasmussen's local \(h\)-invariants, where the original proofs used the behaviour of Heegaard Floer homology with respect to surgeries. He uses the link cobordism maps to give conceptually simple proofs for various adjunction relations and inequalities on the \(3\)- and \(4\)-manifold invariants constructed by Ozsváth and Szabó. He also proves new adjuction relations and inequalities for his link cobordism maps. He computes the maps \(F_{W, \mathcal{F},\mathfrak{s}}\) induced on \(\mathcal{H}\mathcal{F}\mathcal{L}^\infty\) by decorated link cobordisms \((W, \mathcal{F})\) between two knots in \(S^3\) in certain special cases, and uses these computations to show that the link cobordism maps associated to a connected, closed surface in \(S^4\) are determined by the genus of the surface.