RSFT functors for strong cobordisms and applications

Abstract

We extend the hierarchy functors of [33] to the case of strong symplectic cobordisms, via deformations with Maurer--Cartan elements. In particular, we prove that the concave boundary of a strong cobordism has finite algebraic planar torsion if the convex boundary does, which yields a functorial proof of finite algebraic planar torsion for contact manifolds admitting strong cobordisms to overtwisted contact manifolds. We also show the existence of contact $3$-folds without strong cobordisms to the standard contact $3$-sphere, that are not cofillable. We also include generalizations of the theory relating our notion of algebraic planar torsion to Latschev--Wendl's notion of algebraic torsion, discussing variations from counting holomorphic curves with general constraints and invariants extracted from higher genera holomorphic curves from an algebraic perspective.

Accepted version, to appear in JSG