On framings of 3-manifolds (Q753207)

A 2-framing of a 3-manifold Y is a homotopy class of trivializations of the double \(2T_ Y=T_ Y\oplus T_ Y\) of its tangent bundle (as a Spin(6) bundle). This paper demonstrates the existence of canonical 2- framings for all oriented 3-manifolds and discusses their application in \textit{E. Witten}'s extension of the Jones invariants to all 3-manifolds [Commun. Math. Phys. 121, 351-399 (1989; Zbl 0667.57005)] and in identifying certain central extensions of the mapping class group.