diff -r a3311a926113 -r c5a43be00ed4 text/basic_properties.tex --- /dev/null Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 1970 +0000 +++ b/text/basic_properties.tex Wed Jul 22 03:38:13 2009 +0000 @@ -0,0 +1,121 @@ +%!TEX root = ../blob1.tex + +\section{Basic properties of the blob complex} +\label{sec:basic-properties} + +\begin{prop} \label{disjunion} +There is a natural isomorphism $\bc_*(X \du Y) \cong \bc_*(X) \otimes \bc_*(Y)$. +\end{prop} +\begin{proof} +Given blob diagrams $b_1$ on $X$ and $b_2$ on $Y$, we can combine them +(putting the $b_1$ blobs before the $b_2$ blobs in the ordering) to get a +blob diagram $(b_1, b_2)$ on $X \du Y$. +Because of the blob reordering relations, all blob diagrams on $X \du Y$ arise this way. +In the other direction, any blob diagram on $X\du Y$ is equal (up to sign) +to one that puts $X$ blobs before $Y$ blobs in the ordering, and so determines +a pair of blob diagrams on $X$ and $Y$. +These two maps are compatible with our sign conventions. +The two maps are inverses of each other. +\nn{should probably say something about sign conventions for the differential +in a tensor product of chain complexes; ask Scott} +\end{proof} + +For the next proposition we will temporarily restore $n$-manifold boundary +conditions to the notation. + +Suppose that for all $c \in \cC(\bd B^n)$ +we have a splitting $s: H_0(\bc_*(B^n, c)) \to \bc_0(B^n; c)$ +of the quotient map +$p: \bc_0(B^n; c) \to H_0(\bc_*(B^n, c))$. +For example, this is always the case if you coefficient ring is a field. +Then +\begin{prop} \label{bcontract} +For all $c \in \cC(\bd B^n)$ the natural map $p: \bc_*(B^n, c) \to H_0(\bc_*(B^n, c))$ +is a chain homotopy equivalence +with inverse $s: H_0(\bc_*(B^n, c)) \to \bc_*(B^n; c)$. +Here we think of $H_0(\bc_*(B^n, c))$ as a 1-step complex concentrated in degree 0. +\end{prop} +\begin{proof} +By assumption $p\circ s = \id$, so all that remains is to find a degree 1 map +$h : \bc_*(B^n; c) \to \bc_*(B^n; c)$ such that $\bd h + h\bd = \id - s \circ p$. +For $i \ge 1$, define $h_i : \bc_i(B^n; c) \to \bc_{i+1}(B^n; c)$ by adding +an $(i{+}1)$-st blob equal to all of $B^n$. +In other words, add a new outermost blob which encloses all of the others. +Define $h_0 : \bc_0(B^n; c) \to \bc_1(B^n; c)$ by setting $h_0(x)$ equal to +the 1-blob with blob $B^n$ and label $x - s(p(x)) \in U(B^n; c)$. +\end{proof} + +Note that if there is no splitting $s$, we can let $h_0 = 0$ and get a homotopy +equivalence to the 2-step complex $U(B^n; c) \to \cC(B^n; c)$. + +For fields based on $n$-categories, $H_0(\bc_*(B^n; c)) \cong \mor(c', c'')$, +where $(c', c'')$ is some (any) splitting of $c$ into domain and range. + +\medskip + +\nn{Maybe there is no longer a need to repeat the next couple of props here, since we also state them in the introduction. +But I think it's worth saying that the Diff actions will be enhanced later. +Maybe put that in the intro too.} + +As we noted above, +\begin{prop} +There is a natural isomorphism $H_0(\bc_*(X)) \cong A(X)$. +\qed +\end{prop} + + +\begin{prop} +For fixed fields ($n$-cat), $\bc_*$ is a functor from the category +of $n$-manifolds and diffeomorphisms to the category of chain complexes and +(chain map) isomorphisms. +\qed +\end{prop} + +In particular, +\begin{prop} \label{diff0prop} +There is an action of $\Diff(X)$ on $\bc_*(X)$. +\qed +\end{prop} + +The above will be greatly strengthened in Section \ref{sec:evaluation}. + +\medskip + +For the next proposition we will temporarily restore $n$-manifold boundary +conditions to the notation. + +Let $X$ be an $n$-manifold, $\bd X = Y \cup (-Y) \cup Z$. +Gluing the two copies of $Y$ together yields an $n$-manifold $X\sgl$ +with boundary $Z\sgl$. +Given compatible fields (boundary conditions) $a$, $b$ and $c$ on $Y$, $-Y$ and $Z$, +we have the blob complex $\bc_*(X; a, b, c)$. +If $b = -a$ (the orientation reversal of $a$), then we can glue up blob diagrams on +$X$ to get blob diagrams on $X\sgl$: + +\begin{prop} +There is a natural chain map +\eq{ + \gl: \bigoplus_a \bc_*(X; a, -a, c) \to \bc_*(X\sgl; c\sgl). +} +The sum is over all fields $a$ on $Y$ compatible at their +($n{-}2$-dimensional) boundaries with $c$. +`Natural' means natural with respect to the actions of diffeomorphisms. +\qed +\end{prop} + +The above map is very far from being an isomorphism, even on homology. +This will be fixed in Section \ref{sec:gluing} below. + +\nn{Next para not need, since we already use bullet = gluing notation above(?)} + +An instance of gluing we will encounter frequently below is where $X = X_1 \du X_2$ +and $X\sgl = X_1 \cup_Y X_2$. +(Typically one of $X_1$ or $X_2$ is a disjoint union of balls.) +For $x_i \in \bc_*(X_i)$, we introduce the notation +\eq{ + x_1 \bullet x_2 \deq \gl(x_1 \otimes x_2) . +} +Note that we have resumed our habit of omitting boundary labels from the notation. + + +