Double Decker sets of generic surfaces in 3-space as homology classes (Q5954303)

The singularities of a generic map of a surface \(F\) to a 3 dimensional manifold \(M\) are double points, triple points and branch points (a.c.a. Whitney umbrella). The closure of the double point set in the surface is a (possibly self-intersecting) one-dimensional manifold. The author computes the homology class \(\Gamma\) represented by this 1-manifold in the first homology of \(F\). It is shown that \(\Gamma\) is 0 (with integer coefficients) if \(F, M\) are orientable as well as that \(\Gamma\not=0\) (with mod 2 coefficients) if \(F\) is not orientable and the homology class of the surface in \(M\) is 0. (This latter result follows also from [\textit{A. Szücs}, Bull. Lond. Math. Soc. 18, No. 1, 60-66 (1986; Zbl 0563.57015)].) As an application it is shown that there are equivalent 2-knots in 4-space with projections to 3-space without branch points, but to show their equivalence using Reidemeister type moves (Roseman moves) one needs to create and kill branch points.