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Myers Paper

The document summarizes Robert Myers' 1978 paper that proves every closed, orientable 3-manifold has an open book decomposition with a connected binding. It first provides context on open book decompositions and states the theorem. It then outlines the proof, which uses the fact that 3-manifolds can be presented as 3-fold branched coverings of S3 branched over a knot. By choosing a specific braid presentation of the knot, the preimage of the braid axis under the covering map can be ensured to be connected.
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0% found this document useful (0 votes)
27 views7 pages

Myers Paper

The document summarizes Robert Myers' 1978 paper that proves every closed, orientable 3-manifold has an open book decomposition with a connected binding. It first provides context on open book decompositions and states the theorem. It then outlines the proof, which uses the fact that 3-manifolds can be presented as 3-fold branched coverings of S3 branched over a knot. By choosing a specific braid presentation of the knot, the preimage of the braid axis under the covering map can be ensured to be connected.
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Open Book Decompositions of 3-Manifolds

Author(s): Robert Myers


Source: Proceedings of the American Mathematical Society, Vol. 72, No. 2 (Nov., 1978), pp.
397-402
Published by: American Mathematical Society
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PROCEF2EDINGS OF THE
AMER ICAN MATHEMATICAL SOCIETY
Volume 72, Number 2, November 1978

OPEN BOOK DECOMPOSITIONS OF 3-MANIFOLDS

ROBERT MYERS1

ABSTRACT. We prove that every closed, orientable 3-manifold has an open


book decomposition with connected binding. We then give some
applications of this result.

1. Introduction. A closed n-manifold has an open book decomposition if it


can be constructed as follows: Let F be a compact (n - 1)-manifold with
aF =#0. Let h be an autohomeomorphism of F which is the identity on VF.
Take F x [0, 1] and identify (h(x), 0) with (x, 1) for x E F and (y, 0) with
(y, t) fory E 8F, t E [0, 1]. For a manifold M so constructed let q: F x [0, 1]
-* M be the quotient map. q(aF) is called the binding, the q(F x { t)) are
called the pages of the decomposition.
Alexander [1] proved that every closed orientable 3-manifold has an open
book decomposition. It is implied in his paper, and has been widely assumed,
that one can always find a decomposition with connected binding. We use a
theorem proved independently by Hilden and Montesinos (stated in ?2) to
prove the following theorem, which was first announced in [13].

THEOREM 1. Every closed orientable 3-manifold has an open book decompo-


sition with connected binding.

This result has been obtained independently, using different techniques, by


F. Gonzalez-Acufia [7].
We work throughout in either the PL or smooth category. Our terminology
on braids is consistent with standard usage; we give the book by J. Birman [3]
as a reference. For information on branched coverings we refer to R. H. Fox
[5].
The author wishes to thank W. Jaco for help in the preparation of this
paper for publication.

2. Branched coverings. The following result is widely known. See Alexander


[1].

PROPOSITION 1. Let N be a closed 3-manifold having an open book decompo-


sition with binding A. Suppose f: M -* N is a finite sheeted covering space
branched over a link L such that L n A =0 and L is transverse to the pages.

Presented to the Society, June 20, 1975; received by the editors February 15, 1977 and, in
revised form, February 27, 1978.
AMS (MOS) subject classifications (1970). Primary 57A10; Secondary 55A25, 55A10, 57D30.
Key words andphrases. Open book decomposition, 3-manifold, fibered knot, branched covering
space, braid, foliation.
'This research was partially supported by NSF Grant MCS 76-07291.

397

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398 ROBERT MYERS

Then M has an open book decom

We use the following presentation of a closed orientable 3-manifold M as a


branched covering of S3 to construct an open book decomposition of M with
connected binding.

PROPOSITION 2 (HILDEN [8], [9]; MONTESINOS [11], [12]). Every closed


orientable 3-manifold M can be presented as a 3-fold dihedral covering space f:
M __ S3 branched over a knot k.

Let S3 = <X,y: x2 = y3 = (xy)2 = 1> be the symmetric group on three


symbols. Given a closed orientable 3-manifold M, it follows from Proposition
2 that there is a knot k in S3 and a representation p of -1(S3 -k) onto 53
such that M is the completion of the covering space of S3 - k corresponding
to the subgroup p - 1(gp(x)) of 1 (S3- k). Note that a meridian of k is
represented in 53 by an element of order two. If J is an oriented simple
closed curve in S3 - k, then f -(J) is connected if and only if p([J]) has
order three, where [J] is the homotopy class of J in -1(S3 -k).
According to Alexander [1] (see also Birman [3]), any knot in S3 can be
presented as the closed braid /3 corresponding to a geometric braid /3 on n
strings, for some n > 2. Thus let D be a disc and Qn = {ql, ... , qn} be a set
of distinct points in int D. The element /3 E Bn determines an auto-
homeomorphism h of D - Qn which is the identity on aD. So h determines
an open book decomposition of S3 with binding the braid axis A.
If /3 presents the knot k, then this decomposition satisfies the conditions of
Proposition 1 with respect to f: M __ S3. Thus we get an open book
decomposition of M with binding f -(A). In the next section we prove that
the presentation of k as a closed braid ,/ may be chosen so that the homotopy
class of the braid axis A is represented in 53 by an element of order three.
The theorem will then follow by the above remarks.

3. Proof of Theorem 1. Let M be a closed orientable 3-manifold, with k the


knot in S3, p: T (S3- k)-- 53 the representation, and f: M -+ S3 the
branched covering given by Proposition 2. Let /3 be a closed braid
presentation of k with axis A. In the open book decomposition of S3 given by
/3, orient [0, 1] from 1 to 0, and orient D so that the orientation on D x [0, 1]
is that of a right-handed screw. Give A and /3 the induced orientations. We
denote again by D and Qn the images of D x {O} and Qn x {O} in S3.
Choose a basepoint so on aD. Let aj be a loop in aD, based at so, which
encloses qj but does not enclose any other point of Qn. Give aj the orientation
induced from that of D. Let aj = [aj] E 893 - , so). The aj may be chosen
so that [A] = a, ... an. The aj generate 8 - /3, so) and are all conjugate.
p(aj) = xyeI, where 0 < Ej < 2. Take a regular projection of ,B onto a plane
perpendicular to A and compute an over presentation [4] of -7(3 - /3, sO).
The generators a,, ... , an are as indicated in Figure 1.

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OPEN BOOK DECOMPOSITIONS OF 3-MANIFOLDS 399

FIGURE 1

Since p is onto and n > 1, there is an integer m, with 1 S m < n 1, such


that p(am) #& p(am+i). If n = 2, then

p([A ]) = xyelXye2 = yeI-2 7 1;


thus p([A]) has order three and we are done. We may assume that n is even,
since if n is odd we can replace /3 by the braid f3an E Bn+, which also
presents k. (The ai are the standard Artin generators of the braid group.) So
we shall now assume that n > 2 and is even.

We may assume that p(an _ 1) # p(an). If not, there is an integer m as before


with p(am) # p(am+i). Let

Tm = (Cm an-1)(m-. an-2)

and /3' = Tm, 13Tm. Let A' and aj' be defined for /3' as A
for /3. A projection of /3' is shown in Figure 2. Evidently there is a
homeomorphism g of S 3, isotopic to the identity and fixing so, such that
g(/3) = and g*(an- 1) = am_, g(an) = am, where
g*: -1 (S , so ) 3 - (, , so)
is induced by gI(S3- /'). Let p' = p o g*. Then p'(an1) # p'(an). So
replace /3 by the equivalent knot /3' and drop the primes.

FIGURE 2

Now if p([A]) 1, then it must have order three, since n is even, and we
are done. So assume p([A]) = 1. We construct a braid /3' E Bn+2 such that /3'
is equivalent to /3 and has braid axis A' with p'([A']) - 1, where p' is the

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400 ROBERT MYERS

corresponding representat
/3 = yn an- "nina n an an- I
A projection of /3' is shown in Figure 3.

FJGURE 3

There is homeomnor S ophism. g from '3t tself, isotopic to the identity and
fixing so, such that g(B') = f3', g*(aj') =a, for I <, j <S n -2, g*(an+ 1) =an,
and gl, (b) =l a, where
_ _ _ _ _ _ 1 ( - S ) >1 (S

is induced by Wls3 3). From the projection one calculates that

g*(a) =g*(n+ ln+ l(an+ 1) n = *a+ 1) =an,

9*(an+2 = *( n 1) -(an)- banan+ 1) = a -2an- 1a2

g n-12) = g* ( a n+1a a (ann, +2 (an - an)

9 *(an-1 ann+i ln+2( n+2 1 an2) n)

=ananan 2an-,AA a2an- = an-

Thus g*([A ]) = g*(a' * * n2 l***a-a-a2an-= [A](an an-


Let p'= p og*. Then

p ( [A ] ) =p( [A ] )p(n)p(an_-1 ) = p(an)p(an_-1 )

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OPEN BOOK DECOMPOSITIONS OF 3-MANIFOLDS 401

Since (p(aj))2 = 1 and p(a_ -) =# p(a), it follows that p'([A']) # 1, and


done.
Dropping the primes we see that f - '(A) is the connected binding o
open book decomposition of M lifted from that of S3 given by /l. This
completes the proof of Theorem 1.

4. Applications.

COROLLARY 1. Every closed orientable 3-manifold contains fibered knots.

PROOF. M - f - 1(A) is a surface bundle over S 1.


The next result was first proven by R. H. Bing [2].

COROLLARY 2. Every closed orientable 3-manifold contains a simple closed


curve whose complement is irreducible.

PROOF. Surface bundles over S1 whose fibers are not spheres are irredu-
cible.
REMARKS. Note that the method used to prove Corollary 1 is closely related
to the method used by D. Goldsmith [6] to construct fibered links in S3.
Corollary 2 shows that Theorem 1 yields an alternative proof of Bing's
theorem [2] that a closed 3-manifold is S3 if and only if each simple closed
curve in M is contained in a 3-cell.

COROLLARY 3. Every closed orientable 3-manifold has a codimension one


foliation with precisely one closed leaf; this leaf is a torus.

PROOF. Replace a tubular neighborhood of f - 1(A) with a Reeb component


and "turbulize" the fibers around it. (See [10] for details.)

REFERENCES

1. J. W. Alexander, A lemma on systems of knotted curves, Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 9
(1923), 93-95.
2. R. H. Bing, Necessary and sufficient conditions that a 3-manifold be S3, Ann. of Math. 68
(1958), 17-37.
3. J. S. Birman, Braids, links, and mapping class groups, Ann. of Math. Studies, No. 82,
Princeton, N.J., 1974.
4. R. H. Crowell and R. H. Fox, Introduction to knot theory, Ginn, Boston, Mass., 1963.
5. R. H. Fox, Covering spaces with singularities, Algebraic Geometry and Topology, Princeton
Univ. Press, Princeton, N.J., 1957, pp. 243-257.
6. D. L. Goldsmith, Symmetric fibered links, Knots, Groups, and 3-Manifolds, Ann. of Math.
Studies, No. 84, Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton, N.J., 1975, pp. 3-23.
7. F. Gonzalez-Acuiia, 3-dimensional open books, Lectures, Univ. of Iowa Topology Seminar,
1974/75.
8. H. M. Hilden, Every closed orientable 3-manifold is a 3-fold branched covering space of S3,
Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 80 (1974), 1243-1244.
9. _ _, Three-fold branched coverings of S 3, Amer. J. Math. 98 (1976), 989-998.
10. H. B. Lawson, Foliations, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 80 (1974), 369-418.
11. J. M. Montesinos, A representation of closed orientable 3-manifolds as 3-fold branched
coverings of S3, Bull. Amer. Math. Soc. 80 (1974), 845-846.

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402 ROBERT MYERS

12. _ _, Three-manifolds as 3-fold bra


(1976), 85-94.
13. R. Myers, Open book decomposition
A-65 1.

DEPARTMENT OF MATHEMATICS, RICE UN

Current address: Department of Mathe

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