# An elementary proof of Novikov's theorem

## TL;DR

This paper provides a straightforward proof of Novikov's theorem, demonstrating that in a closed 3-manifold with a taut foliation, each leaf's fundamental group injects into the manifold's fundamental group, using foliated branched covers.

## Contribution

It introduces a simplified proof of Novikov's theorem employing foliated branched covers, enhancing understanding of foliation properties in 3-manifolds.

## Key findings

- Proof confirms injectivity of leaf fundamental groups
- Simplifies previous proofs of Novikov's theorem
- Uses foliated branched covers as a key technique

## Abstract

Novikov's theorem states that, given a taut (codimension-one) foliation on a closed 3-manifold M, the fundamental group of any leaf injects into the fundamental group of M. We use foliated branched covers to give a simple proof of this result.