3D-grids are not transducible from planar graphs

Abstract: We prove that the class of 3D-grids is cannot be transduced from planar graphs, and more generally, from any class of graphs of bounded Euler genus. To prove our result, we introduce a new structural tool called slice decompositions, and show that every graph class transducible from a class of graphs of bounded Euler genus is a perturbation of a graph class that admits slice decompositions.