Linking and the Morse complex

Symplectic aspects of Floer homology and cohomology (53D40) Floer homology (57R58) Abstract critical point theory (Morse theory, Lyusternik-Shnirel'man theory, etc.) in infinite-dimensional spaces (58E05)

Abstract: For a Morse function f on a compact oriented manifold M, we show that f has more critical points than the number required by the Morse inequalities if and only if there exists a certain class of link in M whose components have nontrivial linking number, such that the minimal value of f on one of the components is larger than its maximal value on the other. Indeed we characterize the precise number of critical points of f in terms of the Betti numbers of M and the behavior of f with respect to links. This can be viewed as a refinement, in the case of compact manifolds, of the Rabinowitz Saddle Point Theorem. Our approach, inspired in part by techniques of chain-level symplectic Floer theory, involves associating to collections of chains in M algebraic operations on the Morse complex of f, which yields relationships between the linking numbers of homologically trivial (pseudo)cycles in M and an algebraic linking pairing on the Morse complex.

Review text

The author provides interesting connections between the linking and the Morse complex on a compact oriented manifold (Theorem 1.1, Theorem 5.9). The paper is organized into seven sections dealing in detail with the following aspects: orientations and Morse theory, linking of pseudoboundaries, operations on the Morse complex, from linked pseudoboundaries to critical points and viceversa, some technical proofs. Other author's papers directly connected to this topic are [J. Topol. Anal. 2, No. 2, 233--258 (2010; Zbl 1196.53051)] and [Isr. J. Math. 184, 1--57 (2011; Zbl 1253.53085)].

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