2026-07-072026-07-07http://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/72102In this paper, we study contact structures on any open 3-manifold V which is the interior of a compact 3-manifold. To do this, we introduce proper contact isotopy invariants called the slope at infinity and the division number at infinity. We first prove several classification theorems for T^2 x [0, \infty), T^2 x R, and S^1 x R^2 using these concepts. This investigation yields infinitely many tight contact structures on T^2 x [0,\infty), T^2 x R, and S^1 x R^2 which admit no precompact embedding into another tight contact structure on the same space. Finally, we show that if V is irreducible and has an end of nonzero genus, then there are uncountably many tight contact structures on V that are not contactomorphic, yet are isotopic. Similarly, there are uncountably many overtwisted contact structures on V that are not contactomorphic, yet are isotopic.18 pages, 3 figures, additions to intro, clearer statement of thm 1.1 (same proof), Modifications made to section 6 giving shorter proof of thm 1.2 and 1.3Symplectic GeometryGeometric Topology53C13; 57M50Contact structures on open 3-manifoldstext