On contactomorphism group of contact structure overtwisted at infinity on \(\mathbb R^{3}\) (Q2461507)

A contact structure \(\xi\) on \({\mathbb R}^3\) is a non-integrable 2-plane field distribution; it can be defined as the kernel of a globally defined 1-form \(\alpha\) on \({\mathbb R}^3\) for which \(\alpha\wedge d\alpha\neq 0\). The contact structure \(\xi\) is said to be overtwisted at infinity, if \({\mathbb R}^3\) contains a disc \(D\) where \(\partial D\) is tangential to \(\xi\) and where the characteristic foliation induced by \(\xi\) on \(D\) only has one singular point (elliptic). A contactomorphism of \(\xi\) is a diffeomorphism \(\phi: {\mathbb R}^3 \to {\mathbb R}^3\) for which \(\phi_{*}(\xi)=\xi\). As his main result, the author computes all homotopy groups of the compactly supported contactomorphism group of a contact structure on \({\mathbb R}^3\) which is overtwisted at infinity.