Spin structures on 3-manifolds via arbitrary triangulations (Q2441267)

In the present paper a combinatorial encoding of spin structures based on arbitrary triangulations of oriented compact 3-manifolds is introduced. The goal is achieved by means of the notion of \textit{weak branching}, which turns out to be related to the notion of \textit{\(\mathbb Z/2 \mathbb Z\)-taut structure} on triangulations, introduced by \textit{F. Luo} and \textit{J.-M. Schlenker} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 140, No. 3, 1053--1068 (2012; Zbl 1250.57028)] and \textit{F. Luo} et al. [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 141, No. 1, 335--350 (2013; Zbl 1272.57004)]. In particular, by taking into account the set of all pairs \((M,s)\) (\(M\) being a compact oriented 3-manifold and \(s\) being a spin structure on \(M\)), the authors claim: {\parindent=6mm \begin{itemize} \item[-] ``given any (loose) triangulation \(\mathcal T\) of \(M\), with ideal vertices at the components of \(\partial M\) and possibly internal vertices, and any \(s\), we encode \(s\) by decorating \(\mathcal T\) with certain extra combinatorial structures; \item [-] we exibit combinatorial moves on decorated triangulations relating to each other any two that encode the same \((M,s)\).'' \end{itemize}} A dual version of the above encoding is also presented, in terms of \textit{special spines} dual to triangulations (see [\textit{S. V. Matveev}, Acta Appl. Math. 19, No. 2, 101--130 (1990; Zbl 0724.57012)]). A first application of the described techniques is contained in [\textit{P. Baseilhac} and \textit{R. Benedetti}, ``Analytic families of quantum hyperbolic invariants and their asymptotical behaviour, I'', \url{arXiv:1212.4261}]. Further possible applications are also pointed out, concerning ``an effective construction of the Roberts spin-refined Turaev-Viro invariants and of the related Blanchet spin-refined Reshetikhin-Turaev invariants of the double of a manifold''.