HF=HM III: Holomorphic curves and the differential for the ech/Heegaard Floer correspondence

Abstract

This is the third of five papers that construct an isomorphism between the Seiberg-Witten Floer homology and the Heegaard Floer homology of a given compact, oriented 3-manifold. The isomorphism is given as a composition of three isomorphisms; the first of these relates a version of embedded contact homology on an an auxillary manifold to the Heegaard Floer homology on the original. This paper describes the relationship between the differential on the embedded contact homology chain complex and the differential on the Heegaard Floer chain complex. The paper also describes the relationship between the various canonical endomorphisms that act on the homology groups of these two complexes.