Graph cobordisms and Heegaard Floer homology

Abstract

We construct a graph TQFT for the minus flavor of Heegaard Floer homology. Our graph TQFT extends Ozsv\'{a}th and Szab\'{o}'s TQFT for closed and connected 3-manifolds, and allows for cobordisms with disconnected ends. As an application, we give an explicit formula for the chain homotopy type of the $\pi_1$-action on Heegaard Floer homology. We show that on homology the $\pi_1$-action is trivial on the plus, minus and infinity flavors, but give examples where it is non-trivial on the hat flavor.