Floer homology and surface decompositions (Q2479718)

The main theorem of the present article is about the way Sutured Floer Homology, denoted SFH, changes under surface decomposition. (Main) Theorem 1.3. Let \((M,\gamma)\) be a balanced sutured manifold and let \((M,\gamma)\rightsquigarrow (M',\gamma')\) be a sutured manifold decomposition. Suppose that \(S\) is open and for every component \(V\) of \(R(\gamma)\) the set of closed components of \(S\cap V\) consists of parallel oriented boundary-coherent simple curves. Then \[ SFH(M',\gamma' )=\bigoplus_{\mathfrak{s}\in O_{S}}SFH(M,\gamma,\mathfrak{s}). \] In particular, \(SFH(M',\gamma' )\) is a direct summand of \(SFH(M,\gamma)\). \(O_{S}\) stands for the set of outer Spin\(^{c}\) structures with respect to \(S\). The proof of the main theorem goes along a generalization of \textit{S. Sarkar}'s and \textit{J. Wang}'s algorithm [``An Algorithm for Computing some Heegard Floer Homologies'', arXiv:math.GT/0607777] to compute \(SFH(M,\gamma)\) from any given balanced diagram of \((M,\gamma)\). The main applications of the apparatus developed in the article are listed as follows: {\parindent=7mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] a simplified proof that shows Knot Floer Homology detects fibred knots, which has been conjectured by Ozsváth-Szabó and was first proved by \textit{Y. Ni} [Invent. Math. 170, No. 3, 577--608 (2007; Zbl 1138.57031)]; \item[(2)] a simple proof of a theorem that Link Floer Homology detects the Thurston norm, which was proved for links in \(S^{3}\) by \textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó} [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 8, No.~2, 615--692 (2008; Zbl 1144.57011)]. The author generalizes this result to links in arbitrary 3-manifolds. \item[(3)] As an easy consequence of Theorem 1.3, the Murasugi sum formula is reproved (it had already been proved in [\textit{Y. Ni}, Algebr. Geom Topol. 6, 513--537 (2006; Zbl 1103.57021)]). \end{itemize}} The proofs of these three applications above are simpler than the original ones because the author makes no use of symplectic or contact geometry. Before the applications, the author obtains two by-product theorems of the main theorem, providing us with positive answers to Question 9.19 and Conjecture 10.2 of [\textit{A. Juhász}, Algebr. Geom. Topol. 6, 1429--1457 (2006; Zbl 1129.57039)]. Theorem 1.4. Suppose that the balanced sutured manifold \((M,\gamma)\) is taut. Then \[ \mathbb{Z}\leq SFH(M,\gamma). \] If \(Y\) is a closed connected oriented \(3\)-manifold and \(R\subset Y\) is a compact oriented surface with no closed components then we can obtain a balanced sutured manifold \(Y(R)=(M,\gamma)\), where \(M=Y\backslash Int(R\times I)\) and \(\gamma=\partial R\times \) [see Juhász, loc. cit., Example 2.6]. Furthermore, if \(K\subset Y\) is a knot, \(\alpha\in H^{2}(Y,K;\mathbb{Z})\), and \(i\in\mathbb{Z}\) then let \[ \widehat{HFK}(Y,K,\alpha,i)=\bigoplus_{\mathfrak{s}\in Spin^{c}(Y,K): \quad <c_{1}(\mathfrak{s}),\alpha>=2i}\widehat{HFK}(Y,K,\mathfrak{s}). \] Thus, the following theorem follows from the main theorem. Theorem 1.5. Let \(K\) be a null-homologous knot in a closed connected 3-manifold \(Y\) and let \(S\subset Y\) be a Seifert surface of \(K\). Then \[ SFH(Y(S))\simeq \widehat{HFK}(Y,K,[S],g(S)). \] These two theorems together give a proof that Knot Floer Homology detects the genus of a knot, as first proved by \textit{P. Ozsváth} and \textit{Z. Szabó} [Geom. Topol. 8, 311--334 (2004; Zbl 1056.57020)]. In particular, if \(Y\) is a rational homology 3-sphere then \(\widehat{HFK}(K,g(K))\neq 0\) and \(\widehat{HFK}(K,i)=0\) for \(i> g(K)\). The author also uses the theorems proved above to push forward the understanding of the question concerning the minimal \(n\) such that there is a depth \(n\) foliation on \(S^{3}\backslash N(K)\), where \(K\) is a knot in \(S^{3}\) and \(N(K)\subset S^{3}\) is a normal neighbourhood of \(K\). Theorem 1.8. Let \(K\) be a null-homologous genus \(g\) knot in a rational homology 3-sphere \(Y\). Suppose that the coefficient \(a_{g}\) of the Alexander polynomial \(\triangle_{K}(t)\) of \(K\) is non-zero and \[ \text{rank}(\widehat{HFK}(Y,K,g))<4. \] Then \(Y\backslash N(K)\) has a depth \(\leq 2\) taut foliation transverse to \(\partial N(K)\).