Title: Signs in real monopole Floer homology

Abstract: The computation of the 3-dimensional framed real Seiberg–Witten invariant of the branched double cover of a knot K is instrumental in Miyazawa's construction of exotic P^2-knots. This invariant, known as Miyazawa's degree invariant deg(K), is the Euler characteristic χ(HMR) of framed real monopole Floer homology (HMR).  A priori deg(K) is defined only up to an overall sign, since the real Dirac operator has no complex orientation. Worse, signs associated to distinct real spin^c structures are not comparable. Resolving the latter issue is essential for developing computational techniques for real Seiberg--WItten invariants.

I will explain how to fix the sign of the 3-dimensional count, in other words, define an absolute mod-two grading, via a mod-two index-theoretic correction term. This yields a total Euler characteristic \tilde{χ} that sums over all real spin^c structures, the analogue of \hat{χ} in real Heegaard Floer homology (HFR). Recent work of Srivastava provides the motivating results: an absolute mod-two grading in \hat{HFR} and the evaluation of \hat{χ} in terms of the Alexander polynomial at \sqrt{-1}. This is joint work with Ciprian Manolescu.

Speaker: Jiakai Li (Stanford University)

This talk will also be broadcast online via Zoom: 
Meeting ID: 974 4775 6289
Passcode: 371131

Language: English

This lecture is part of the  Thematic Program on “New Frontiers in Gauge Theory, Topology, and Physics” (TP26GT).