Representing homology classes of almost definite 4-manifolds (Q5894754)

This paper deals with the problem of representing homology classes in \(H_ 2 (\mathbb{C} P^ 2 \# m \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^ 2;Z)\) by embedded spheres. A central result is: Theorem. Suppose \(U \in H_ 2 (\mathbb{C} P^ 2 \# m \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^ 2;Z)\) is of the form \(U = a \xi + \sum^ m_{i=1} b_ i \eta_ i\), \(a,b_ i \in Z\) with \(| b_ 1 | \geq | b_ 2 | \geq \cdots \geq | b_ m |\) where \(\xi, \eta_ i\) represent the canonical generators. If \(| a | \neq | b_ 1 | + 1\) and \(U^ 2 \geq \max \{\sum^ m_{i=2} b^ 2_ i + 4,5\}\) then \(U\) cannot be represented by an embedded sphere. Using results on automorphisms of certain unimodular quadratic forms over the integers together with results of Wall the author shows: Theorem. (1) If \(U = (a,b_ 1, b_ 2) \in H_ 2 (\overline {\mathbb{C} P}^ 2 \# 2 \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^ 2;Z)\) satisfies \(| b_ 1 | \geq | b_ 2 |\) and \(| a | \geq | b_ 1 | + | b_ 2 |\) then \(U\) is represented by an embedded sphere iff \(| a | - | b_ 1 | \leq 1\) or \(U = (\pm 2,0,0)\). (2) If \(U = (a,b_ 1, b_ 2,b_ 3) \in H_ 2 (\mathbb{C} P^ 2 \# 3 \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^ 2;Z)\) satisfies \(| b_ 1 | \geq | b_ 2 | \geq | b_ 3 |\) and \(| a | \geq | b_ 1 | + | b_ 2 | + | b_ 3 |\) then \(U\) is represented by an embedded sphere iff \(b_ 3 = 0\) and \(| a | - | b_ 1 | \leq 1\) or \(U = (\pm 2,0,0.0)\). (3) If \(U = a \xi + \sum_ i b_ i \eta_ i \in H_ 2 (\mathbb{C} P^ 2 \# m \overline {\mathbb{C} P}^ 2;Z)\) satisfies \(| | a | - | b_ 1 | | = 1\) for some \(i \in \{1, \dots, m\}\) then \(U\) can be represented by an embedded sphere.