Realization of a Graph as the Reeb Graph of a Morse–Bott or a Round Function

Abstract

We prove criteria for a graph to be the Reeb graph of a function of a given class on a closed manifold: Morse–Bott, round, and in general smooth functions whose critical set consists of a finite number of submanifolds. The criteria are given in terms of whether the graph admits an orientation, which we call S-good orientation, with certain conditions on the degree of sources and sinks, similar to the known notion of good orientation in the context of Morse functions. We also study when such a function is the height function associated with an immersion of the manifold. The condition for a graph to admit an S-good orientation can be expressed in terms of the leaf blocks of the graph.