Finiteness of mapping degrees and \(\text{PSL}(2,R\mathbf)\)-volume on graph manifolds (Q731422)

Let \(M\) and \(N\) be two closed oriented 3-manifolds. Let \({\mathcal D}(M, N)\) be the set of degrees of maps from \(M\) to \(N\), that is \({\mathcal D}(M, N)= \{d\in\mathbb{Z}\mid f: M\to N\), \(\deg(f)= d\}\). By the work of \textit{W. P. Thurston} [Bull. Am. Math. Soc., New Ser. 6, 357--379 (1982; Zbl 0496.57005)]; \textit{R. Brooks} and \textit{W. Goldman} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 286, 651--664 (1984; Zbl 0548.57016) and Duke Math. J. 51, 529--545 (1984; Zbl 0546.57003)] and \textit{S. Wang} [Proceedings of the international congress of mathematicians, ICM 2002, Beijing, China, 2002. Vol. II: Invited lectures. Beijing: Higher Education Press. 457--468 (2002; Zbl 1009.57025)], we know that (i) if \(N\) is closed oriented geometric 3-manifold which supports the hyperbolic or the \(\widetilde{\text{PSL}}(2, \mathbb{R})\) geometry then \({\mathcal D}(M, N)\) is finite for any \(M\); (ii) if \(N\) admits one of the six remainding geometries, \(S^3, S^2\times\mathbb{R}\), \(\text{Nil},\mathbb{R}^3,\mathbb{H}^2\times \mathbb{R}\) or Sol then \({\mathcal D}(N, N)\) is infinite. In the paper under review the authors prove that for any given closed prime nontrivial graph manifold \(N\), \({\mathcal D}(M, N)\) is finite for any graph manifold \(M\). The proof uses a recently developed standard form of maps between graph manifolds and the estimation of the \(\widetilde{\text{PSL}}(2,\mathbb{R})\)-volume for a certain class of graph manifolds.