2-symmetric crystallizations and 2-fold branched coverings of \(S^ 3\) (Q753197)

The authors introduce a class of edge-colored graphs, called ``symmetric crystallizations'', depending on a \(2(g+1)\)-tuple of positive integers, \(g\geq 1\). Then they prove that these graphs represent 2-fold covering spaces of \(S^ 3\) (3-sphere) branched over a link. As a consequence, it is given an alternative graph-theoretic proof of the well-known fact that every 3-manifold M of Heegaard genus \(\leq 2\) is a 2-fold covering of \(S^ 3\) branched over a link [see for example \textit{J. S. Birman} and \textit{H. M. Hilden}, Bull. Am. Math. Soc. 79, 1006-1010 (1973; Zbl 0272.57001)].