Paires de structures de contact sur les variétés de dimension trois (Q640329)

The framework for the paper under review is provided by a positive pair of contact structures \((\xi_{+},\xi_{-})\) on an oriented 3-dimensional manifold \(V\). This means in particular that \(\xi_{\pm}\) are co-oriented contact structures, so that \(\xi_{\pm}=\text{Ker}\,\alpha_{\pm}\), where the 1-forms \(\alpha_{\pm}\) have the property that \(\alpha_{+}\wedge d\alpha_{+}\) is positive and \(\alpha_{-}\wedge d\alpha_{-}\) is negative; in addition, the co-orientations of \(\xi_{+}\) and \(\xi_{-}\) coincide at every point \(x\in V\) with \(\xi_{+}(x)=\xi_{-}(x)\). As in the work of [\textit{Y. M. Eliashberg} and \textit{W. P. Thurston}, Confoliations. University Lecture Series, 13. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (1998; Zbl 0893.53001)], a normal positive pair of this type generates a continuous, locally integrable plane field \(\lambda\). One of the main results of the present paper is that if the plane field \(\lambda\) is uniquely integrable and the contact structures \(\xi_{\pm}\) are tight, then the integral foliation of \(\lambda\) has no Reeb component with the core homologous to zero. In addition, the manifold \(V\) carries a foliation without any Reeb component and then its universal covering is \({\mathbb R}^3\) (Theorem 3.3). A criterion for the unique integrability of the plane field \(\lambda\) is also offered (Theorem 3.4). Finally, the authors prove a Reeb stability theorem for positive pairs of tight contact structures (Theorem 4.1).