Height functions on surfaces with three critical values (Q632982)

Let \(Z:\mathbb{R}^3\to\mathbb R\) be the projection \(Z(x,y,z)=z\). Given an immersion \(\iota: M\to\mathbb{R}^3\) of a closed surface \(M\), the composition \(h=Z\circ\iota\) is called a height function of the immersion \(\iota: M\to\mathbb{R}^3\). Let \(h\) be a height function on a closed surface \(M\) and let \(v_1<\dots<v_l\) be the critical points of \(h\). For \(1\leq j\leq l\), the number of critical points of \(h\) that belong to \(h^{-1}(v_j)\) is denoted by \(n_j\). The sequence \((n_1,\dots,n_l)\) is called the critical point number sequence of the height function \(h\). \textit{T. Banchoff} and \textit{F. Takens} [Ill. J. Math. 19, 325--335 (1975; Zbl 0311.57022)] showed that there are immersions \(\iota: M\to\mathbb{R}^3\) of a closed surface \(M\) such that the respective height function has the critical point number sequence \((1,1,1)\) if and only if \(M\) is non-orientable or is orientable of genus \(1\) or \(0\). In this paper, the authors completely characterize sequences of positive integers \((n_1,n_2,n_3)\) that can be realized as the critical point number sequences of a height function \(h\) associated to some immersion of a closed surface \(M\) into \(\mathbb R^3\). Moreover, they show that, given a closed surface \(M\), if \(l\geq 4\), then an arbitrary sequence of positive integers \((n_1,\dots,n_l)\) always can be realized as the critical point number sequences of a height function \(h\) associated to an immersion \(\iota: M\to\mathbb{R}^3\).