Systoles of 2-complexes, Reeb graph, and Grushko decomposition

dc.creatorKatz, Mikhail G.
dc.creatorRudyak, Yuli B.
dc.creatorSabourau, Stephane
dc.date2006-02-01
dc.date2006-08-06
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T07:03:00Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T07:03:00Z
dc.descriptionLet X be a finite 2-complex with unfree fundamental group. We prove lower bounds for the area of a metric on X, in terms of the square of the least length of a noncontractible loop in X. We thus establish a uniform systolic inequality for all unfree 2-complexes. Our inequality improves the constant in M. Gromov's inequality in this dimension. The argument relies on the Reeb graph and the coarea formula, combined with an induction on the number of freely indecomposable factors in Grushko's decomposition of the fundamental group. More specifically, we construct a kind of a Reeb space ``minimal model'' for X, reminiscent of the ``chopping off long fingers'' construction used by Gromov in the context of surfaces. As a consequence, we prove the agreement of the Lusternik-Schnirelmann and systolic categories of a 2-complex.
dc.description29 pages; to appear in Int. Math. Res. Notices
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/math/0602009
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/math/0602009
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/108810
dc.subjectDifferential Geometry
dc.subjectMetric Geometry
dc.subject53C23, 20E06, 55M30, 57N65
dc.titleSystoles of 2-complexes, Reeb graph, and Grushko decomposition
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