On unstabilized genus three critical Heegaard surfaces (Q2437656)

The author gives a sufficient condition for a Heegaard splitting of a link exterior to be critical in the sense of \textit{D. Bachman} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 354, No. 10, 4015--4042 (2002; Zbl 1003.57023)]. More exactly, the main theorem of the paper (Theorem 2.18) states the following. Let \(L\) be a non-splittable, tunnel number two, three-component link in \(S^{3}\) and \((V,W;F)\) be the induced Heegaard splitting of the exterior of \(L\). If we can choose two weak reducing pairs \((V,W)\) and \((V',W')\) such that \(\partial V \cap \partial W' \neq \emptyset\) and \(\partial V' \cap \partial W \neq \emptyset\) up to isotopy, then \(F\) is critical.