Four-dimensional disk embedding and Wall's conjecture

Claimed, not checked 3 papers September 24, 2026
What the paper claims, in its own words

The unrestricted four-dimensional disk-embedding conjecture fails: framed algebraic dual spheres do not suffice to obtain disjoint locally flat spanning disks. In particular, the free group F2 is not good in the sense of Freedman–Quinn. Also constructs a finitely presented integral Poincaré duality group of dimension four with a finite classifying space but no realization as the fundamental group of a closed aspherical topological four-manifold, disproving Wall's conjecture.

The plain-language explainer for this entry is still coming.

The original papers (3)