Pseudo-holomorphic maps into folded symplectic four-manifolds

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Every oriented 4-manifold admits a folded symplectic structure, which in turn determines a homotopy class of compatible almost complex structures that are discontinuous across the folding hypersurface ("fold") in a controlled fashion. We define folded holomorphic maps, i.e. pseudo-holomorphic maps that are discontinuous across the fold. The boundary values on the fold are mediated by tunneling maps which are punctured H-holomorphic maps into the folding hypersurface with prescribed asymptotics on closed characteristics. Our main result is that the linearized operator of this boundary value problem is Fredholm and thus we obtain well behaved local finite dimensional moduli spaces. As examples we characterize the moduli space of maps into folded elliptic fibration and we construct examples of degree d rational maps into S⁴. Moreover we explicitly give the moduli space of degree 1 rational maps into S⁴ and show that it possesses a natural compactification. This aims to generalize the tools of holomorphic maps to all oriented 4-manifolds by utilizing folded symplectic structures.