Linking numbers and boundaries of varieties

DOI10.2307/121114MaRDI QIDQ1972071zbMATH OpenOpenAlexFDO

Authors John Wermer, Herbert J. Alexander

Publication date 3 September 2000

Published in Annals of Mathematics. Second Series (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0008033, https://eudml.org/doc/122672, http://www.math.princeton.edu/~annals/issues/2000/151_1.html

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Integration on analytic sets and spaces, currents (32C30) Other operations on complex singularities (32S70) Differential topology (57R99)

Abstract: The intersection index at a common point of two analytic varieties of complementary dimensions in

B b b C^{n}

is positive. This observation, which has been called a ``cornerstone of algebraic geometry ([GH, p.~62]), is a simple consequence of the fact that analytic varieties carry a natural orientation. Recast in terms of linking numbers, it is our principal motivation. It implies the following: Let $M$ be a smooth oriented compact 3-manifold in $B b b C^{3}$ . Suppose that $M$ bounds a bounded complex 2-variety $V$ . Here ``bounds means, in the sense of Stokes' theorem, i.e., that

b [V] = [M]

as currents. Let

A

be an algebraic curve in

B b b C^{3}

which is disjoint from M. Consider the linking number

m l i n k (M, A)

of

M

and

A

. Since this linking number is equal to the intersection number (i.e. the sum of the intersection indices) of

V

and

A

, by the positivity of these intersection indices, we have

m l i n k (M, A) g e q 0

. The linking number will of course be 0 if

V

and

A

are disjoint. (As

A

is not compact, this usage of ``linking number will be clarified later.) This reasoning shows more generally that $m l i n k (M, A) g e q 0$ if $M$ bounds a positive holomorphic 2-chain. Recall that a {it holomorphic $k$ -chain} in $O m e g a s u b s e t e q B b b C^{n}$ is a sum $s u m n_{j} [V_{j}]$ where $V_{j}$ is a locally finite family of irreducible $k$ -dimensional subvarieties of $O m e g a$ and $n_{j} i n B b b Z$ and that the holomorphic 2-chain is {it positive} if $n_{j} > 0$ for all $j$ . Our first result is that, conversely, the nonnegativity of the linking number characterizes boundaries of positive holomorphic 2-chains.

Review text

In this paper boundaries of positive holomorphic chains in $\mathbb C^n$ are being characterized by non-negativity of their linking numbers with algebraic subvarieties of complementary dimension. More precisely, the following is proved. Let $M$ be a compact oriented submanifold of ${\mathbb C}^n$ of odd real dimension $k$, $3\leq k\widehat A \leq 2n-3$. Then $M$ satisfies the linking condition $\text{lk}(M,A)\geq 0$, for all algebraic subvarieties $A$ of ${\mathbb C}^n$ disjoint from $M$ of complex dimension $n-(k+1)/2$, where $\text{lk}$ denotes the linking number, if and only if $M$ is maximally complex and there exists a (unique) positive holomorphic $k$-chain $T$ of dimension $(k+1)/2$ in ${\mathbb C}^n - M$ of finite mass and bounded support with $[M]=\partial[T]$. Moreover, for all $x\in {\mathbb C}^n - M$, $x\in\text{supp}(T)$ if and only if $\text{lk}(M,A)>0$, for all algebraic subvarieties $A$ of ${\mathbb C}^n$ disjoint from $M$ of complex dimension $n-(k+1)/2$ such that $x\in A$. The proof uses the result of \textit{F. R. Harvey} and \textit{H. B. Lawson jun.} [Ann. Math. (2) 102, 223-290 (1975; Zbl 0317.32017)] that $M$ bounds a holomorphic chain if and only if it is maximally complex and is organized as follows. First the corresponding theorem for curves in $\mathbb C^n$ is proved and from this the theorem with $k=n=3$ is deduced. The case $k=3$ and $n$ arbitrary is then deduced using projections and finally the general result is proved by slicing and an inductive procedure.

Recommendations

Cited in

(19)

This page was built for publication: Linking numbers and boundaries of varieties

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q1972071)