Reeb graphs of circle-valued functions: A survey and basic facts

Abstract

The Reeb graph of a circle-valued function is a topological space obtained by contracting connected components of level sets (preimages of points) to points. For some smooth functions, the Reeb graph has the structure of a finite graph. This notion finds numerous applications in the theory of dynamical systems, as well as in the topological classification of circle-valued functions and the study of their homotopy properties. However, important theoretical facts on the topological properties of the Reeb graphs of circle-valued functions are scattered across numerous papers on different topics, according to the specific needs of the corresponding application. In this paper, we systematize the existing results on the Reeb graphs of circle-valued functions and generalize some of them to wider classes of functions or spaces. We also show how some results can be carried out from real-valued functions. Finally, we adapt some facts from the theory of foliations to the Reeb graphs of circle-valued functions. In particular, we analyze the cycle rank of the Reeb graph and address the problem of realization of a finite graph as a Reeb graph.