Minimality of symplectic fiber sums along spheres (Q383703)

The symplectic fiber sum \(X\#_VY\) is a surgery on two symplectic manifolds \(X\) and \(Y\), each containing a copy of a symplectic hypersurface \(V\). This sum is also a symplectic manifold. The notion was introduced and studied at first by \textit{R. E. Gompf} [Ann. Math. (2) 142, No. 3, 527--595 (1995; Zbl 0849.53027)] and \textit{J. D. McCarthy} with \textit{J. G. Wolfson} [Topology 33, No. 4, 729--764 (1994; Zbl 0812.53033)]. The construction of symplectic fiber sums allows to obtain new symplectic manifolds with certain properties. In four dimensions this method was used for manifolds with symplectic Kodaira dimension 1 or 2. Then \textit{A.-K. Liu} [Math. Res. Lett. 3, No. 5, 569--585 (1996; Zbl 0872.57025)] and \textit{T.-J. Li} [J. Differ. Geom. 74, No. 2, 321--352 (2006; Zbl 1105.53068)] proved that symplectic manifolds with symplectic Kodaira dimension \(-\infty\) are rational or ruled. In connection with these results was required to obtain new manifolds of Kodaira dimension 0. This problem implies to answer the question under what conditions a symplectic fiber sum is a minimal manifold. This last question has been researched for fiber sums along submanifolds of genus strictly greater than 0 by \textit{M. Usher} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2006, No. 16, Article ID 49857, 17 p. (2006; Zbl 1110.57017)]. In the present paper the author completes the Usher discussion by considering fiber sums along spheres. He proves that for fiber sums along spheres the minimality of the symplectic fiber sum is determined by the cases discussed by M. Usher [loc .cit.] and one additional case of non-minimality. To prove a general result which include those the author gives at first the following criterion of minimality. Lemma 1.1. Let \(M=X\#_{V_X=2H}\mathbb{C}P^2\) be the \(-4\)-blow-down of an embedded symplectic \(-4\)-sphere \(V_X\) in \(X\). Then \(M\) is not minimal if and only if \(\bullet\) \(X\backslash V_X\) is not minimal or \(\bullet\) \(X\) contains 2 disjoint distinct exceptional spheres \(E_i\) each meeting \(V_C\) transversely and positively in a single point. (\([H]\) is the generator of the homology group \(H_2(\mathbb{C}P^2,\mathbb{Z})\)) Then the author uses this criterion and the results of M.Usher(op.cit) for the genus \(g>0\) case for to prove the following general theorem concerning the minimality of the symplectic fiber sums in dimension 4. Theorem 1.2. Let \(M\) be the symplectic fiber sum \(X\#_VY\) of the symplectic manifolds \((X,\omega_X)\) and \((Y,\omega_Y)\) along an embedded symplectic surface \(V\) of genus \(g\geq 0\). 1. The manifold \(M\) is not minimal if \(\bullet\) \(X\backslash V_X\) or \(Y\backslash V_Y\) contains an embedded symplectic sphere of self-intersection \(-1\) or \(\bullet\) \(X\#_VY=Z\#_{V_{\mathbb{C}P^2}}\mathbb{C}P^2\) with an embedded \(+4\)-sphere \(V_{\mathbb{C}P^2}\) in the class \([V_{CP^2}]=2[H]\in H_2(\mathbb{C}P^2,\mathbb{Z})\) and \(Z\) has at least 2 disjoint exceptional spheres \(E_i\) each meeting the submanifold \(V_Z\subset Z\) positively and transversely in a single point. 2. If \(X\#_VY=Z\#_{V_B}B\) where \(B\) is an \(S^2\)-bundle over a genus \(g\) surface and \(V_B\) is a section of this bundle then \(M\) is minimal if and only if \(Z\) is minimal. 3. In all other cases \(M\) is minimal.