Approximating \(C^{0}\)-foliations by contact structures (Q730359)

In [\textit{Y. M. Eliashberg} and \textit{W. P. Thurston}, Confoliations. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (1998; Zbl 0893.53001)], it has been proved that any \(C^2\)-foliation \({\mathcal F}\) of a closed oriented manifold \(M\) different from the product foliation of \(S^2\times S^1\) by 2-spheres can be \(C^0\)-approximated by both, positive and negative, contact structures. Here, the author proves (Theorem 1.2) that such approximations exist when \(\mathcal F\) has only continuous tangent plane field and contains at least one non-simply-connected leaf. This result implies (Theorem 1.3) that any taut \(C^0\) foliation of such an \(M\) (again, different from the product foliation of \(S^2\times S^1\) by 2-spheres) can be homotoped into both, positive and negative, tight and symplectically semi-fillable contact structures. A similar result (Theorem 9.8) for Reebless foliations is also established.