Pants distances of knotted surfaces in 4-manifolds

Abstract

We define a pants distance for knotted surfaces in 4-manifolds which generalizes the complexity studied by Blair-Campisi-Taylor-Tomova for surfaces in the 4-sphere. We determine that if the distance computed on a given diagram does not surpass a theoretical bound in terms of the multisection genus, then the (4-manifold, surface) pair has a simple topology. Furthermore, we calculate the exact values of our invariants for many new examples such as the spun lens spaces. We provide a characterization of genus two quadrisections with distance at most six.