Research report 2013 - Max Planck Institute for Mathematics
Deformations of foliations
Authors
Vogel, Thomas
Departments
Max-Planck-Institut für Mathematik, Bonn
Summary
We discuss an application of contact topology to the space of foliations by surfaces on 3-manifolds. Without further geometric restrictions on the foliation, the connected components of the space of foliations are well understood. In contrast to this, if one requires that all foliations under consideration are taut, then the space of these foliations is more complicated. So far, its connected components are classified only in few special situations.