packet (normal surface list)

Description

In Regina 6.0.1 and earlier, the packet element was used to store every packet in the entire packet tree that makes up a Regina data file. This page describes how the packet element was structured when storing a normal surface list. Since Regina 7.0, each packet type has its own XML element; in particular, normal surface lists are now stored using the surfaces element.

A normal surface list packet stores a list of normal surfaces in a particular 3-manifold triangulation. This list will often contain the vertex surfaces whose convex span is the set of all normal surfaces in the triangulation that satisfy certain constraints, though other lists (such as fundamental surfaces, or other customised lists) can be stored also.

The parent element of this normal surface list must be the triangulation in which the normal surfaces lie. The individual normal surfaces in this list are contained in the child surface elements.

The parameters of the normal surface enumeration that created this list are stored in the child params element.

The roles played by the child tag and packet elements are described in the general packet element documentation.