Solution
ID: past-exam-of-the-mathematics-course-of-the-university-of-cambridge/2009/iii/paper-20/2/ii/solution
Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge 2009 iii Paper 20 2 ii Solution by
Codex 0 Created 2026-10-03 Updated 2026-10-14
A generator selects one point from each alpha circle and each beta circle. Here the points lie on , on , on , and on . Hence, with , the Heegaard Floer chain complex has free basisA pair such as is invalid because it uses beta-one twice.
Orient the attaching circles so that their algebraic-intersection matrix is . The presentation of is then , , giving with . The upper rectangular domain connects to ; the lower one connects to . Thus these three generators have zero joining-cycle obstruction. Changing just the point on the second alpha circle from to , or just the point on the first from to , gives the two opposite nonzero meridian classes. This distinguishes the other two generators. The equivalence classes of Whitney disk classes are thereforeThe dot in the central unshaded region represents the basepoint. Each displayed rectangle has , Euler measure zero and four corner averages , hence Maslov index one. The relative grading in Heegaard Floer homology satisfiesThus a convenient normalization is degree zero for and degree one for ; either singleton can independently be put in degree zero. As before, multiplication by subtracts from every degree.
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