Gluing theorems for complete anti-self-dual spaces

Abstract

We give new and rather general gluing theorems for anti-self-dual (ASD) conformal structures, following the method suggested by Floer. The main result is a gluing theorem for pairs of conformally ASD manifolds `joined' across a common piece (union of connected components) of their boundaries. This theorem genuinely operates in the b-category (in the sense of Melrose) and in general the boundary of the joined manifold can be non-empty. The resulting metric is a conformally ASD b-metric or, in more traditional language, a complete conformally ASD metric with cylindrical asymptotics. We also study hermitian-ASD conformal structures on complex surfaces in relation to scalar-flat K\"ahler geometry. The general results are illustrated with a simple application, showing that the blow-up of C^2 at an arbitrary finite set of points admits scalar-flat K\"ahler metrics that are asymptotic to the Euclidean metric at infinity. A number of vanishing theorems for the obstruction space is also included.