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An admissible cut splits a four-dimensional cobordism as $W=W_1{\cup }_N{W}_2$, with $b_2^{+}(W_1),b_2^{+}(W_2)>0$, and with the Mayer-Vietoris connecting map $H^1(N;\mathbb{Z})\to H^2(W;\mathbb{Z})$ equal to zero. The last condition removes the ambiguity in gluing Spin-c structures on the two pieces. Positivity makes both infinity cobordism maps vanish, allowing passage through the Reduced Heegaard Floer homology of $N$. A useful cut is the boundary of a neighborhood of a positive-square embedded surface, chosen so that its complement still has a positive direction. The nonzero normal Euler number makes $H^1$ of the neighborhood surject onto $H^1$ of its boundary, proving the connecting-map condition.

A compact smooth cobordism is an h-cobordism when both boundary inclusions $M_i\hookrightarrow W$ are homotopy equivalences. The name does not itself impose simple connectivity. A trivial cobordism is an h-cobordism because a product cylinder retracts onto either end.

A smooth oriented cobordism $W:Y_1\to Y_2$ with a Spin-c structure induces $U$-equivariant maps $F_{W,\mathfrak{s}}^{\circ }$ on the corresponding Heegaard Floer homology groups. A handle decomposition defines the maps using generator selection for one- and three-handles and holomorphic triangle counts for two-handles. Composition sums over extensions of the prescribed Spin-c structures. When the boundary determinant classes are torsion, the absolute grading shift isThe square is defined using the rational relative lift. If $b_2^{+}(W)>0$, the infinity map vanishes. Between rational homology spheres, when $b_1(W)=b_2^{+}(W)=0$, the infinity map is an isomorphism of Laurent towers.

For a framed embedding $S^{\lambda -1}\times D^{m+1-\lambda }\hookrightarrow M^m$, index-$\lambda$ surgery on a smooth manifold removes the interior of that region and replaces it by $D^{\lambda }\times S^{m-\lambda }$. Their common boundary is $S^{\lambda -1}\times S^{m-\lambda }$, along which the framing specifies the gluing. This is a $(\lambda ,m+1-\lambda )$ surgery. Its trace is an $(m+1)$-dimensional cobordism obtained by attaching the handle $D^{\lambda }\times D^{m+1-\lambda }$ to $M\times [0,1]$ along the outgoing boundary.

In the present surface case, $\lambda =2$ and $m=2$. The operation removes an annulus around the embedded curve $\gamma$ and caps its two boundary circles by closed disks. Since $[\gamma ]=pa+qb\ne 0$, the curve cannot separate the oriented torus: a separating curve is the oriented boundary of one of the complementary subsurfaces and is therefore null-homologous. Thus it is a nonseparating curve, and the cut-open surface $F$ is connected with two boundary components. Its Euler characteristic is zero, since both the removed annulus and the gluing circles have Euler characteristic zero. Capping adds two, so the resulting oriented closed connected surface has $\chi (M)=2$. By the allowed surface classification it is a sphere. ThereforeEquivalently the classification shows that $F$ is a cylinder. The argument is conditional on the asserted embedding existing; it does not assign a surgery manifold to a nonexistent embedded curve.

Choose an arc in this connected cylinder joining its two boundary circles and close it by an arc crossing the removed annulus. After smoothing the joints, its closed curve $\delta$ meets $\gamma$ transversely exactly once. If $[\delta ]=ra+sb$, then their algebraic intersection number of curves on an oriented surface isThis proves that $[\gamma ]$ is a primitive homology class and forces $\gcd (p,q)=1$.

Conversely, if $\gcd (p,q)=1$, the mapis an immersion with the required homology class. If its values at $t,s$ coincide, then $p(t-s)$ and $q(t-s)$ are integers; Bézout's identity gives $t-s\in \mathbb{Z}$. It is therefore injective and, by compactness, an embedded circle. An explicit annular thickening isThe determinant of its coordinate derivatives is $\delta (p^2+q^2)\ne 0$. If two image points coincide, solving for the difference in the normal coordinate shows that $\delta (u-u^{\prime })$ is an integer multiple of $1/(p^2+q^2)$. The strict choice of $\delta$ forces that integer to be zero, so $u=u^{\prime }$ and then $t=t^{\prime }$ modulo one. This supplies the actual required embedding, not just a homology class. Hence

The smooth h-cobordism theorem states: if $(W;M_0,M_1)$ is a compact smooth h-cobordism, $\dim W\ge 6$, and its connected boundary manifolds are simply connected, then there is a diffeomorphism $W\cong M_0\times [0,1]$ restricting to the prescribed identification on $M_0$. In particular $M_0$ and $M_1$ are diffeomorphic. Being an h-cobordism means that both inclusions $M_i\hookrightarrow W$ are homotopy equivalences; their fundamental groups then also identify with that of $W$.

The homotopy-equivalence condition is necessary for a trivial cobordism: each end of a cylinder is a deformation retract, by $(x,t)\mapsto (x,(1-s)t)$ for the incoming end and $(x,t)\mapsto (x,(1-s)t+s)$ for the outgoing end. Its relative homology with respect to either end is consequently zero. Compactness is also necessary for a product with a closed compact end. The dimensional bound and simple connectivity are not necessary for an individual cobordism to be a product. The cylinder $S^2\times [0,1]$ is a simply connected trivial cobordism of dimension three; and, in the theorem's dimension range, $(S^1\times S^4)\times [0,1]$ is a six-dimensional trivial cobordism with fundamental group $\mathbb{Z}$. These prove the two non-necessity assertions explicitly, while the inclusion argument proves necessity of the h-condition.

For the remaining claims, use a cobordism Morse function: its two regular boundary levels are zero and one, and all critical points are interior. An arbitrary function with unrelated boundary values would not have the relative handle-count property. The relative Morse chain complex for $(W,M_0)$ has one generator per critical point, in its Morse index. ThusA trivial cobordism has zero relative homology, hence zero relative Euler characteristic. Modulo two the displayed sum is the number of critical points. An odd number makes it odd, and therefore nonzero. This proves an odd-critical-point cobordism is not trivial.

With precisely two critical points of indices $\lambda \le \mu$, a trivial cobordism requires the two-generator relative complex to be acyclic over $\mathbb{Z}$. Equal indices leave a rank-two homology group; a gap of more than one leaves both generators with zero possible differential. Therefore $\mu =\lambda +1$ is necessary. The remaining two-term complex isChoose a transverse gradient-like vector field. A nonzero differential requires the index-$\mu$ point to be above the index-$\lambda$ point; otherwise no descending connecting trajectories exist. In a common regular level between them, the belt sphere $S_U(p)$ has dimension $d-\lambda -1$, and the attaching sphere $S_L(q)$ has dimension $\mu -1=\lambda$, where $d=\dim W$. Their dimensions add to $d-1$, the level's dimension, so their transverse intersection consists of points. Each intersection is one descending trajectory from $q$ to $p$, modulo time translation. Orient the attaching sphere and use an orientation of a vector space on the handle core to coorient the belt sphere; the resulting signed count is the cellular boundary coefficientThe two homology groups are the kernel and cokernel of multiplication by $a$. They vanish precisely when $a$ is a unit of $\mathbb{Z}$. Consequentlyare necessary. This proves the two-critical-point obstruction to a trivial cobordism; it makes an algebraic incidence statement and does not assume that an algebraic count of one automatically supplies geometric handle cancellation.

For an explicit nontrivial cobordism from $S^3$ to itself, attach two zero-framed two-handles to the outgoing end of $S^3\times [0,1]$ along the standard Hopf link. Its two components are unknots with linking number one. This realizes two successive $(2,2)$ surgeries, as suggested by the hint. The outgoing boundary is again $S^3$, and this can be checked geometrically: the Hopf-link exterior is $T^2\times [0,1]$, and each component's zero-framing longitude is the other's meridian. Filling along these two slopes glues two solid tori with meridians intersecting once, the standard genus-one Heegaard decomposition of $S^3$. Thus zero surgery on the Hopf link does return the three-sphere, not just an unspecified homology sphere.

The trace has only the two added index-two handles. Its relative cellular complex has $C_2(W,S^3)={\mathbb{Z}}^2$ and all other groups zero, soIt cannot be a product cylinder. Equivalently this trace is $S^2\times S^2$ with two disjoint open four-balls removed: the usual handle presentation of $S^2\times S^2$ has one zero-handle, the two zero-framed Hopf-linked two-handles, and one four-handle. Removing the bottom and top balls exposes the two three-sphere ends. The relative-homology calculation alone already proves the requested cobordism is nontrivial.

For the unknot the three-manifolds are $S^3$, $U_0=S^1\times S^2$, and $U_n=L_n$, where $L_n$ denotes positive $n$-surgery with its surgery orientation. This fixes the orientation independently of competing conventions for the name $L(n,1)$.

Use the grading convention $\mathrm{gr}{\Theta }_{S^3}^{+}=0$ and $\mathrm{gr}{\Theta }_{S^3}^{-}=-2$. Let $R=\mathbb{Z}[U]$ and $\hat{R}=\mathbb{Z}[[U]]$. The ordinary minus groups arewhere $0\le k<n$ andThe lens-space absolute grading can be calculated from the standard torus surgery triple. For $0\le k<n$, the reverse trace structure with evaluation $2k-n$ has a small embedded holomorphic triangle with basepoint multiplicity zero and signed count $\pm 1$, taking $y_k$ to ${\Theta }^{-}$. Its degree shift is ${\Delta }_k=(1-(2k-n{)}^2/n)/4$. Thus $(d_k-2)+{\Delta }_k=-2$, which gives the boxed formula for $d_k$. Additional triangles wind around the surgery region and give the higher powers of $U$ calculated below.

Their infinity groups are obtained by inverting $U$: one Laurent tower for $S^3$ and each lens-space structure, two for the torsion structure on $S^1\times S^2$, and $\mathbb{Z}[U,U^{-1}]/(1-U^{|i|})$ in its non-torsion structures. Their plus groups are respectively ${\mathcal{T}}_0^{+}$, ${\mathcal{T}}_{1/2}^{+}\oplus {\mathcal{T}}_{-1/2}^{+}$, and ${\mathcal{T}}_{d_k}^{+}$. The hat groups are $\mathbb{Z}$ in degree zero, $\mathbb{Z}$ in each degree $\pm 1/2$, and $\mathbb{Z}$ in degree $d_k$. These follow directly by straightening the standard genus-one Heegaard diagrams: the lens space has one generator in each structure and no chain differential, while the two bigons in the torsion $S^1\times S^2$ diagram cancel with coherent signs. The sphere adjunction condition eliminates its non-torsion plus and hat groups, but not its ordinary minus group. The Non-torsion Heegaard Floer homology of the sphere-circle product calculation comes from a two-generator chain complex with chain differential $1-U^{|i|}$; its cokernel is the displayed quotient. For the triangle, complete the free minus towers by replacing $R$ with $\hat{R}$. The non-torsion summands disappear after completion, because $1-U^{|i|}$ has an inverse $1+U^{|i|}+U^{2|i|}+\cdots$ in $\hat{R}$.

For $k=0$, choose signs so that the exact triangle becomesThe zero-surgery trace has $\chi =1$, $\sigma =0$, and $c_1^2=0$ in the torsion structure; hence its absolute degree shift is $-1/2$, taking ${\Theta }^{-}$ to $x_{-}$. The auxiliary-generator map takes $x_{+}$ to $y_0$, so its effective grading shift isFor the underlying cobordism $Z_n$ in its torsion structure, $c_1^2=0$, $\chi =1$, $\sigma =0$, and its actual cobordism shift is $-1/2$. Tensoring with the canonical lens generator adds $d_0=(n-1)/4$ under the connected-sum grading convention, explaining the effective shift. For $n=1$ the auxiliary lens space is $S^3$, and this is simply the other degree-$-1/2$ surgery trace map.

The reverse trace components are explicit in every $k$. For $j=k+n\ell$, put $m_j=2j-n$. Its intersection form is $(-n)$, soIndeed $c_1^2=-m_j^2/n$, $\chi =1$, $\sigma =-1$, and matching source and target degrees gives precisely the displayed exponent. The exponent is nonnegative, and the coefficient is a unit: the infinity trace map is an isomorphism, and restriction to the free minus towers leaves the unique grading-compatible monomial.

With a compatible choice of Coherent orientations in Heegaard Floer homology, the sum $C_k$ is multiplication byFor $k=0$, pair $\ell$ with $1-\ell$: their exponents agree and their signs are opposite, so $P_0=0$, in agreement with the first triangle. For $0<k<n$ the term $\ell =0$ is the unique constant term, and every other exponent is positive. Thus $P_k=1+U(\cdots )$ is a unit in $\hat{R}$. The zero-surgery summand for such a $k$ vanishes, and the exact triangle isIt is isomorphic, as an ungraded completed-module triangle, to one with the final map the identity. The sum generally has no single absolute Heegaard Floer grading shift; each individual trace component has shift ${\Delta }_j$. This distinction and the power series explain why replacing the completed triangle by a polynomial-module triangle is not innocuous.

Use ordinary integer surgery coefficients, so the positive trace has intersection form $(n)$. Let ${\hat{F}}_0\subset K_0$ be the capped Seifert surface. Label the Spin-c structures byOn the trace $X_n:S^3\to K_n$, let ${\hat{F}}_n^2=n$ and label its structures ${\mathfrak{r}}_j$ by $⟨c_1({\mathfrak{r}}_j),[{\hat{F}}_n]⟩=2j-n$. Restriction identifies ${\mathfrak{t}}_k$ with $j\equiv k(\mathrm{mod}n)$. In these compatible labels the Integer-surgery exact triangle in Heegaard Floer homology isHere boldface denotes the U-adic completion of Heegaard Floer homology. Only finitely many zero-surgery structures contribute, by the genus bound on a capped Seifert surface, so the middle direct sum causes no difficulty. The infinite sums of trace maps do require completion. The printed minus notation should be understood in this completed sense; with the polynomial version, a sum over every extension need not even have values in $\mathbb{Z}[U]$. The plus version has the same ordering and needs no completion.

The two ordinary surgery traces give $A_k$ and $C_k$. For $X_0:S^3\to K_0$, $H^2(X_0)=\mathbb{Z}$, and its Spin-c structures ${\mathfrak{q}}_i$ have determinant evaluations $2i$ on the capped Seifert surface. Their restrictions are the unique structure on $S^3$ and ${\mathfrak{s}}_i$ on $K_0$. Thus the component of $A_k$ in the $i$th summand is $F_{X_0,{\mathfrak{q}}_i}^{-}$ for $i\equiv k$. For the orientation-reversed and turned-around trace $V_n:K_n\to S^3$, $H^2(V_n)=\mathbb{Z}$ and ${\hat{F}}_n^2=-n$. Its structures ${\mathfrak{r}}_j$ still have characteristic evaluations $2j-n$, restrict to ${\mathfrak{t}}_{j\mathrm{mod}n}$ on $K_n$ and to the unique structure on $S^3$, andCharacteristic parity explains the allowed evaluations; changing a structure by the generator of $H^2$ changes its evaluation by two, and the boundary restriction reduces the label modulo $n$.

For $n>1$, $B_k$ has an auxiliary lens-space input. More precisely, take the three-boundary surgery cobordism, or equivalently a two-ended cobordism $Z_n:K_0\#L_n\to K_n$, where $L_n$ is positive $n$-surgery on the unknot. Its incoming lens-space factor is fixed to the distinguished structure ${\mathfrak{u}}_0$ and its canonical top Floer generator ${\Theta }_{L_n}$. ThenThis describes the boundary restrictions exactly, including the boundary that must not be suppressed. A concrete Kirby diagram for $Z_n$ starts with the split incoming surgeries of coefficients $0$ and $n$, then attaches a zero-framed circle linking each incoming component once. Its full linking matrix is $\left(\begin{array}{ccc}0& 0& 1\\ 0& n& 1\\ 1& 1& 0\end{array}\right)$. Quotienting cohomology by the two incoming surgery columns gives $H^2(Z_n)=\mathbb{Z}\oplus \mathbb{Z}/n$. Accordingly its Spin-c structures may be labeled $(i,q)$ with incoming restrictions $({\mathfrak{s}}_i,{\mathfrak{u}}_q)$ and outgoing restriction ${\mathfrak{t}}_{i-q}$. In particular, fixing $q=0$ gives exactly one extension for each $i$, and its outgoing class is $i\mathrm{mod}n$. Thus $B_k$ is a Heegaard Floer cobordism map with the fixed auxiliary generator, rather than an unqualified map of a trace from $K_0$ to $K_n$. When $n=1$, $L_n=S^3$ and all three arrows become the familiar sums of ordinary two-ended Heegaard Floer cobordism maps.

The geometric argument uses the Mixed Heegaard Floer invariant defined in Question 5(iii). First suppose $g(\Sigma )>0$; the genus-zero qualification is discussed below. Write $r=\Sigma \cdot \Sigma \ge 0$. Blow up $r$ distinct points of the surface. Its proper transform $\tilde{\Sigma }$ in $\tilde{M}=M\#r{\overline{\mathbb{CP}}}^2$ has classChoose the extension of the Spin-c structure withSince $E_j^2=-1$, its exceptional evaluations are $-1$, so the Blowup formula for the mixed Heegaard Floer invariant has no extra power of $U$. Thus ${\Phi }_{\tilde{M},\tilde{\mathfrak{s}}}\ne 0$, andThis calculation is why the self-intersection appears with a plus sign.

It remains to bound the Chern pairing for a square-zero surface $S$. Its oriented normal bundle has Euler number zero and is trivial, so $\partial \nu S=S\times S^1$. Choose an embedded positive-square surface $T$ disjoint from $S$, with positive direction left in its complement, and cut along $N=\partial \nu T$. To see why the choice is possible, impose orthogonality to $[S]$ in the intersection form. A nonzero isotropic class uses at most one positive direction; $b_2^{+}\ge 3$ therefore leaves at least two. Choose an integral positive-square class in that complement, represent it by a surface, and remove algebraically cancelling intersections with $S$ by tubing along $S$. This alters genus but not the class. The neighborhood of $T$ supplies one positive direction and the complement supplies another. Since its normal Euler number is nonzero, $H^1(\nu T)\to H^1(N)$ is onto, proving that the cut is admissible.

Put the outgoing puncture inside $\nu S$, so that the plus Heegaard Floer cobordism map on the side containing $S$ passes through the Floer group of $\partial \nu S$. On the chain level this means splitting the cobordism along that boundary and composing its handle maps; with the fixed determinant class, every intermediate generator has restriction $\mathfrak{t}=\tilde{\mathfrak{s}}{|}_{S\times S^1}$. If the Chern pairing exceeded $2g(S)-2$, the given completed minus group would be zero. As in Question 3, this is the completed convention: for a non-torsion structure, ordinary infinity may retain $(1-U^N)$-torsion, whereas $1-U^N$ is invertible after completion. Such a pairing is positive for $g\ge 1$, so $\mathfrak{t}$ is non-torsion and the completed infinity group ${\mathbf{HF}}^{\infty }(S\times S^1,\mathfrak{t})$ is zero as well. The completed fundamental long exact sequence, whose plus group is the usual plus theory, then makes that plus group zero. The Heegaard Floer cobordism map, and consequently the Mixed Heegaard Floer invariant, would vanish, contradicting nonvanishing. ThereforeSubstituting the preceding blowup calculation provesReversing the orientation of the surface gives the usual absolute-value form of the Adjunction inequality for the mixed Heegaard Floer invariant.

The printed assumptions omit the positive-genus qualification. With the actual Floer groups, the asserted three-dimensional vanishing is false for $S=S^2$: the torsion structure on $S^2\times S^1$ has two nonzero minus towers, although its pairing is $0>-2$. Correspondingly, a small sphere embedded in a ball of a K3 surface has $[S]=0$, $S^2=0$ and Chern pairing zero, while the canonical Mixed Heegaard Floer invariant is nonzero; the desired inequality would read $0\le -2$. Thus the displayed proof establishes the intended positive-genus statement. If the supplied vanishing is instead taken literally as a formal additional axiom for every genus, the same factorization would force the inequality even for a sphere, but that axiom contradicts the actual $S^2\times S^1$ computation.

Remove two disjoint four-balls from $M$, giving $W:S^3\to S^3$. An Admissible cut for a Heegaard Floer mixed map is a separating three-manifold $N$ withThe last condition is the Mayer-Vietoris connecting-map condition. It makes a Spin-c structure on $W$ uniquely determined by its restrictions to the two pieces, avoiding an uncontrolled sum of extensions in the composition law. Such cuts exist when $b_2^{+}(M)>1$: represent an integral positive-square class by an embedded surface whose tubular neighborhood carries one positive direction and whose complement retains another. One can construct an embedded representative by resolving intersections of a representative cycle; the genus may increase without changing its class or square. The nonzero normal Euler number makes the restriction $H^1(\nu T)\to H^1(\partial \nu T)$ surjective, so the connecting-map condition holds. Puncture on either side of the cut.

Write $\mathfrak{t}=\mathfrak{s}{|}_N$ and ${\mathfrak{s}}_i=\mathfrak{s}{|}_{W_i}$. Both infinity Heegaard Floer cobordism maps vanish by positivity. Naturality with respect to the exact sequencegives $\mathrm{im}{F}_{W_1,{\mathfrak{s}}_1}^{-}\subset \ker \iota$ and $F_{W_2,{\mathfrak{s}}_2}^{+}\pi =0$. Exactness identifies $\delta$ with a degree-$-1$ isomorphism from $H{F}^{+}(N)/\mathrm{im}\pi$ onto $\ker \iota$, namely the two versions of Reduced Heegaard Floer homology. Hence the inverse on these reduced groups is defined, and one formsThis is the construction of the Mixed Heegaard Floer invariant, rather than the zero ordinary composite.

Let ${\Theta }^{-}$ be the top minus generator, of degree $-2$, and ${\Theta }^{+}$ the bottom plus generator, of degree zero. For $\zeta \in {\Lambda }^{\ast }(H_1(M)/\mathrm{torsion})$, insert its degree-one homology actions in the Heegaard Floer cobordism maps and defineThis is an integer up to the overall orientation sign. cobordism composition and associativity show independence of the admissible cut and handle choices. Equivalently, fixing the relevant orientation data removes the overall sign ambiguity.

The grading condition can be checked explicitly. Since $\chi (W)=\chi (M)-2$ and $\sigma (W)=\sigma (M)$, the sum of the ordinary cobordism shifts is $d(\mathfrak{s})+1$, where $d(\mathfrak{s})=(c_1(\mathfrak{s}{)}^2-2\chi (M)-3\sigma (M))/4$. The inverse connecting map contributes another $+1$. Therefore the output degree on $U^r{\Theta }^{-}\otimes \zeta$ is $d(\mathfrak{s})-2r-\mathrm{deg}\zeta$, and the displayed invariant vanishes unless $2r+\mathrm{deg}\zeta =d(\mathfrak{s})$.

Finally, two positive pieces are needed, so that both infinity maps vanish and the reduced-group factorization is available. For an admissible cut the connecting-map condition and signature additivity imply that the two positive subspaces inject as orthogonal subspaces of the closed intersection form; hence $b_2^{+}(M)\ge 2$. With only one positive direction no such admissible cut exists, and a chamber-dependent construction requires extra choices. With no positive direction, the ordinary infinity maps need not vanish at all. This explains the stated bound for the invariant defined here.

The map is a homogeneous Laurent polynomial ring homomorphism between the two rank-one infinity towers. Choose homogeneous generators $e_i$ with absolute degrees $q_i$. Its degree isConsequently the general graded-module description isIf the grading does not allow an integer exponent, the map is zero. Negative exponents are allowed in the infinity theory. The notation $F$ here denotes the map called ${\Phi }^{\infty }$ in the question.

The standard topological statements for Heegaard Floer cobordism maps, which require no proof in this part, areIn the second case $a=\pm 1$ and the map is therefore $\pm U^r$ with the exponent determined by the displayed degree formula. Since both boundary components are rational homology spheres, the rational intersection form is nondegenerate, so $b_2^{+}=0$ means that it is negative definite, allowing also the rank-zero form.

The printed hypothesis $b_1(Y_i)=0$ does not imply $b_1(W)=0$. Thus one must not replace the second implication by an unconditional isomorphism assertion for every negative-definite cobordism. A concrete check is $W=(S^1\times S^3)\setminus (B^4\bigsqcup B^4):S^3\to S^3$. It has $b_2^{+}=0$ and $b_1(W)=1$. A one-handle followed by a three-handle gives $e\mapsto e\otimes {\theta }^{+}$ and then kills the ${\theta }^{+}$ summand; hence its infinity map is zero. Its grading shift is one, also incompatible with a nonzero map between the even-graded $S^3$ towers. With only the stated boundary assumption, the general homogeneous Laurent-module description and the two topological implications above are the valid conclusions; determining any remaining coefficient requires the actual cobordism, not just its boundary Betti numbers.

A framed embedding of the left-hand region in an $m$-dimensional manifold specifies an index-$\lambda$ surgery. Remove its interior and glue the right-hand region along their common boundary $S^{\lambda -1}\times S^{m-\lambda }$. The cobordism realizing this change attaches an index-$\lambda$ handle of dimension $m+1$. On an oriented surface, index-two surgery cuts out an annular neighbourhood of a simple closed curve and caps its two boundary circles.

A cobordism is trivial when it is diffeomorphic to a cylinder with the prescribed incoming boundary identification. Both boundary inclusions are homotopy equivalences and its relative homology with respect to either end vanishes. It can have critical points for a chosen cobordism Morse function; those must form an acyclic relative Morse chain complex.