Lectures on three-manifold topology

William Jaco0821816934, 9780821816936

This manuscript is a detailed presentation of the ten lectures given by the author at the NSF Regional Conference on Three-Manifold Topology, held October 1977, at Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The purpose of the conference was to present the current state of affairs in three-manifold topology and to integrate the classical results with the many recent advances and new directions.

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Table of contents :
Contents……Page 2
Introduction……Page 3
I. Loop theorem-sphere theorem: The Tower Construction……Page 11
II. Connected sums……Page 28
III. 2-manifolds embedded in 3-manifolds……Page 40
IV. Hierarchies……Page 61
V. Three-manifold groups……Page 75
VI. Seifert fibered manifolds……Page 93
VII. Peripheral structure……Page 119
VIII. Essential homotopies (The annulus-torus theorems)……Page 140
IX. Characteristic Seifert pairs……Page 169
X. Deforming homotopy equivalences……Page 205
Bibliography……Page 254
Index……Page 260
Cover……Page 262