Geometric cobordism categories

Abstract

In this thesis we study cobordism categories consisting of manifolds which are endowed with geometric structure. Examples of such geometric structures include symplectic structures, flat connections on principal bundles, and complex structures along with a holomorphic map to a target complex manifold. A general notion of "geometric structure" is defined using sheaf-theoretic constructions. Our main theorem is the identification of the homotopy type of such cobordism categories in terms of explicit Thom spectra. This extends work of Galatius-Madsen-Tillmann-Weiss who identify the homotopy type of cobordism categories of manifolds with fiberwise structures on their tangent bundles. Interpretations of the main theorem are discussed which have relevance to topological field theories, moduli spaces of geometric structures, and h-principles. Applications of the main theorem to various examples of interest in geometry, particularly holomorphic curves, are elaborated upon.