Higher dimensional manifolds with \(S ^{1}\)-category 2 (Q431266)

Let \(S^ k\) denote the unit \(k\)-dimensional sphere. Given a closed connected topological \(n\)-dimensional manifold \(M^ n\), the \(S^{1}\)-category \(\text{cat}_{S^{1}}(M^ n)\) is equal to 2 if \(M^ n\) can be covered by two open subsets \(W_{i}\) \((i = 1,\,2)\) such that the inclusions of \(W_{i}\) into \(M^ n\) factor homotopically through maps \(W_{i} \rightarrow S^{1}\). For \(n = 2,\,3\), the manifolds \(M^{n}\) such that \(\text{cat}_{S^{1}}(M^ n) = 2\) were determined in [\textit{J. C. Gómez-Larrañaga, F. González-Acuña} and \textit{W. Heil}, Math. Z. 259, No. 2, 419-432 (2008; Zbl 1216.57010)] up to homotopy type hence, as observed by the authors in the paper under review, by G. Perelman's work [\textit{J. Morgan} and \textit{G. Tian}, Ricci flow and the Poincaré conjecture. Clay Mathematics Monographs 3. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society, Cambridge, MA: Clay Mathematics Institute. (2007; Zbl 1179.57045)], all such manifolds are also known up to homeomorphism type. As the main result of the paper under review, the authors prove that if \(n > 3\) and \(\text{cat}_{S^{1}}(M^ n)=2\), then \(M^ n\) is homeomorphic to \(S^ n\) or \(S^{n-1}\times S^{1}\) or the non-orientable \(S^{n-1}\)-bundle over \(S^{1}\). In addition, they derive a condition for a locally flat knot \((S^{n},S^{n-2})\) \((n > 3)\) to be unknotted and a characterization of \(S^{1} \times S^{n-1}\) \((n > 3)\).