Homeomorphic graph manifolds: A contribution to the μ constant problem

Abstract We give a characterization, in terms of homological data in covering spaces, of those maps between (3-dimensional) graph manifolds which are homotopic to homeomorphisms. As an application we give a condition on a cobordism between graph manifolds that guarantees that they are homeomorphic. This in turn is applied to give a partial result on the μ -constant problem in (complex) dimension three.