Fixed-point free circle actions on 4-manifolds (Q907765)

This paper considers the classification of smooth or locally linear free \(S^1\) actions of \(4\)-manifolds. One approach to this is to consider the quotient space. This approach is particularly useful when the action has fixed points. In this paper, Chen takes a different approach -- he considers the decomposition of such manifolds into pieces that may be connected via fiber sum. Such a decomposition leads to a description of the fundamental group as a graph of groups. He proves that any four-dimensional free \(S^1\)-manifold having a fundamental group with infinite center has a fiber-sum decomposition. Under reasonable assumptions the decomposition of the fundamental group induced by the fiber sum decomposition coincides with the canonical JSJ decomposition of the group. By combining results from combinatorial group theory with the geometrization theorem and orbifold theorem in \(3\)-dimensions, Chen is able to prove several strong results about the classification of smooth, free \(S^1\) four-manifolds. In particular under appropriate assumptions on the fundamental group any isomorphism between fundamental groups of fiber-sum indecomposable manifolds arises from an equivariant diffeomorphism. If the manifold has a non-trivial fiber-sum decomposition then there is only a finite number of diffeomorphism classes possible and only a finite number of possible actions on each.