Borel classification of simplicial complexes and non-compact $2$- and $3$-manifolds

Abstract

We generalize the Stone space of ultrafilters on Boolean algebras and prove a generalization of Stone duality which is applicable to locally compact Polish spaces. Using this, we obtain complete invariants for simplicial complexes up to PL-homeomorphism and for non-compact $2$- and $3$-manifolds up to homeomorphism. We prove that the homeomorphism relation on non-compact $2$-manifolds without boundary, the homeomorphism relation on non-compact $3$-manifolds with or without boundary, the homeomorphism relation on open subsets of $\mathbb{R}^2$ and $\mathbb{R}^3$, and conjugacy of Cantor sets in $\mathbb{R}^3$ are classifiable by countable structures. Together with known lower bounds, this implies that these relations are Borel bireducible with isomorphism of countable graphs. We also show that PL-homeomorphism of Heine-Borel simplicial complexes and PL-homeomorphism of PL $n$-manifolds, for every $n$, are classifiable by countable structures.