Corks, covers, and complex curves

Abstract

We show that ${\mathbb{C}}^2$ contains pairs of properly embedded, smooth complex curves that are isotopic through homeomorphisms but not diffeomorphisms of ${\mathbb{C}}^2$. The construction is based on realizing corks as branched covers of holomorphic disks in the 4-ball. These disks can also be described using exotic factorizations of quasipositive braids.

27 pages, 23 figures

References in corpus (1)

• Algebraic functions and closed braids