Self-referential discs and the light bulb lemma (Q2055243)

This paper extends the methods of a former paper of the author [J. Am. Math. Soc. 33, No. 3, 609--652 (2020; Zbl 1479.57048)] to discs with applications to knotted 3-balls in 4-manifolds and further questions. Let \(R\) be an embedded surface with transverse sphere (a geometrically dual sphere) \(G\) in the \(4\)-manifold \(M\) and let \(z = R\cap G\). Let \(\alpha_0\) and \(\alpha_1\) be two smooth compact arcs that coincide near their endpoints and bound the pinched embedded disc \(E\) that is transverse to \(R\) with \(R\cap E=y\) and \(E\cap G=\emptyset\). Then the light bulb lemma (Lemma~2.3 of [loc. cit.]) asserts that one can perform the crossing change of Figure 1 of the paper (and Figure 2.1 of [loc. cit.]) via an isotopy of \(R\) (along \(E\)), provided there is a path \(\alpha\subset R\) from \(y\) to \(z\) that is disjoint from the tube \(B\). Here \(B\) is the intersection of \(R\) with a neighborhood of \(\alpha_0\) in \(M\). The support of the isotopy may be assumed to be within \(B\). The paper ``investigates what happens when such path must cross \(B\), i.e., is self-referential.'' Self-referential forms and self-referential discs are defined in Section 2, and an explanatory example is given in the second paragraph of the first page together with Figure 2. The paper includes applications, such as Theorem 0.8 and Theorem 5.1, on the existence of knotted \(3\)-balls in \(4\)-manifolds. Theorem 5.1 is as follows. \textbf{Theorem 5.1} If \(M=S^2\times D^2\natural S^1\times B^3\) and \(\Delta_0= x_0\times B^3\) in the \(S^1\times B^3\) factor, then there exist infinitely many \(3\)-balls properly homotopic to \(\Delta_0\), but not pairwise properly isotopic. The organization of the paper is described as: ``Basic definitions will be given in Section 1. Section 2 will describe to what extent the methods of [loc. cit.] extend to discs. In particular, we will show that if \(D_0\) and \(D_1\) are homotopic and have a common dual sphere, then \(D_1\) can be put into a self-referential form with respect to \(D_0\). This is the analogue of the normal form of [loc. cit.] except that in addition to double tubes, \(D_1\) can have finitely many self-referential discs. Theorem 0.6 (i) will also be proved. The Dax isomorphism theorem [\textit{J.-P. Dax}, Ann. Sci. Éc. Norm. Supér. (4) 5, 303--377 (1972; Zbl 0251.58003)] will be stated and proved in Section 3. A slightly sharper version of Theorem 0.6 (ii) will be proved in Section 4. Applications to knotted 3-balls in 4-manifolds and further questions will be given in Section 5.''