The Seiberg-Witten equations on end-periodic manifolds and an obstruction to positive scalar curvature metrics

TL;DR

This paper develops a Seiberg-Witten theory framework on end-periodic manifolds to identify obstructions to positive scalar curvature metrics on certain 4-manifolds, linking invariants like Frøyshov and Casson invariants.

Contribution

It introduces a new framework for Seiberg-Witten equations on end-periodic manifolds and establishes an obstruction criterion for positive scalar curvature metrics based on topological invariants.

Findings

Obstruction to positive scalar curvature on certain 4-manifolds.

Relation between Frøyshov invariant and Casson invariant.

Framework for Seiberg-Witten theory on end-periodic manifolds.

Abstract

By studying the Seiberg-Witten equations on end-periodic manifolds, we give an obstruction on the existence of positive scalar curvature metric on compact $4$-manifolds with the same homology as $S^{1}\times S^{3}$. This obstruction is given in terms of the relation between the Fr{\o}yshov invariant of the generator of $H_{3}(X;Z)$ with the $4$-dimensional Casson invariant $\lambda_{SW}(X)$ defined by Mrowka-Ruberman-Saveliev. Along the way, we develop a framework that can be useful in further study of the Seiberg-Witten theory on general end-periodic manifolds.