Embedding simply connected 2-complexes in 3-space -- V. A refined Kuratowski-type characterisation

Abstract

This paper is the last paper in a series of five papers. Building on earlier papers in this series, we prove an analogue of Kuratowski's characterisation of graph planarity for three dimensions. More precisely, a simply connected 2-dimensional simplicial complex embeds in 3-space if and only if it has no obstruction from an explicit list of obstructions. This list of obstructions is finite except for one infinite family.