Three-dimensional normal pseudomanifolds with relatively few edges (Q2308292)

From the Lower Bound Theorem (LBT) (see [\textit{D. Barnette}, Pac. J. Math. 46, 349--354 (1973; Zbl 0264.52006), \textit{M. Gromov}, Partial differential relations. Berlin etc.: Springer-Verlag (1986; Zbl 0651.53001), \textit{G. Kalai}, Invent. Math. 88, 125--151 (1987; Zbl 0624.52004), \textit{T.-S. Tay}, Discrete Comput. Geom. 13, No. 2, 203--216 (1995; Zbl 0817.52016), \textit{B. Bagchi} and \textit{B. Datta}, Expo. Math. 26, No. 4, 327--351 (2008; Zbl 1165.52011)] for various special cases of the LBT) we know that if $\Delta$ is a $d$-dimensional normal pseudomanifold then \[ g_2(\Delta):= f_1(\Delta) - (d+1)f_0(\Delta) + \binom{d+2}{2}\geq 0 \] and equality holds if and only if $\Delta$ is a stacked sphere for $d\geq 3$. Thus, LBT classifies normal pseudomanifolds of dimension $d\geq 3$ with $g_2=0$. \textit{E. Nevo} and \textit{E. Novinsky} [J. Comb. Theory, Ser. A 118, No. 2, 387--395 (2011; Zbl 1209.52007)] have classified homology $d$-spheres with $g_2=1$ for $d\geq 3$. \textit{H. Zheng} [ibid. 153, 31--45 (2018; Zbl 1390.57014) has shown that homology manifolds of dimension $d\geq 3$ with $g_2=2$ are polytopal spheres. From the works of Kalai [loc. cit.] and \textit{A. Fogelsanger} [The generic rigidity of minimal cycles. PhD Thesis, Cornell University (1988), \url{http://www.armadillodanceproject.com/AF/Cornell/rigidity.htm}] it follows that $g_2(\Delta) \geq g_2(\mathrm{lk}(v, \Delta))$ for any vertex $v$ of a 3-dimensional normal pseudomanifold $\Delta$. In this article, the authors consider 3-dimensional normal pseudomanifolds $\Delta$ where $g_2(\Delta) = g_2(\mathrm{lk}(v, \Delta))$ for some vertex $v$ of $\Delta$. They call such pseudomanifolds \textit{pseudomanifolds with relatively minimal $g_2$} and classify combinatorially and topologically such normal pseudomanifolds of dimension 3, with at most two singular vertices. As an application of this, the authors show that a 3-dimensional normal pseudomanifold $\Delta$ with $g_2(\Delta) =3$, triangulates either the 3-sphere $S^3$ or the suspension of $\mathbb{RP}^2$.