Combinatorial description of closed $3$-manifolds via ordered ideal triangulations

Abstract

It is well known that every compact oriented 3-manifold admits an ideal triangulation, and that any two such triangulations with at least two ideal tetrahedra are related by a sequence of Pachner $2$-$3$ moves. Motivated by constructions in quantum topology, we give a combinatorial description of closed $3$-manifolds in terms of ordered ideal triangulations and ordered Pachner $2$-$3$ and $0$-$2$ moves.