Framed Stratified Sets in Morse Theory

http://dx.doi.org/10.4153/CJM-2002-013-7
Canad. J. Math. 54(2002), 396-416

  Published:2002-04-01
 Printed: Apr 2002

In this paper, we present a smooth framework for some aspects of the ``geometry of CW complexes'', in the sense of Buoncristiano, Rourke and Sanderson \cite{[BRS]}. We then apply these ideas to Morse theory, in order to generalize results of Franks \cite{[F]} and Iriye-Kono \cite{[IK]}. More precisely, consider a Morse function $f$ on a closed manifold $M$. We investigate the relations between the attaching maps in a CW complex determined by $f$, and the moduli spaces of gradient flow lines of $f$, with respect to some Riemannian metric on~$M$.