Let $M$ be a closed surface. By $\Homeo(M)$ we denote the group of orientation preserving homeomorphisms of $M$ and let $\MC(M)$ denote the Mapping class group. In this paper we complete the proof of the conjecture of Thurston that says that for any closed surface $M$ of genus $\g \ge 2$, there is no homomorphic section $\E:\MC(M) \to \Homeo(M)$ of the standard projection map $\Proj:\Homeo(M) \to \MC(M)$.
In this paper we focus on compacta $K \subseteq \mathbb{R}^3$ which possess a neighbourhood basis that consists of nested solid tori $T_i$. We call these sets toroidal. In \cite{hecyo1} we defined the genus of a toroidal set as a generalization of the classical notion of genus from knot theory. Here we introduce the self-geometric index of a toroidal set $K$, which captures how each torus $T_{i+1}$ winds inside the previous $T_i$. We use this index in conjunction with the genus to approach the problem of whether a toroidal set can be realized as an attractor for a flow or a homeomorphism of $\…
In this paper, we will show that the projection $\text{Homeo}^+(D^2_n)\to B_n$ does not have a section; i.e. the braid group $B_n$ cannot be geometrically realized as a group of homeomorphisms of a disk fixing the boundary point-wise and $n$ marked points in the interior as a set. We also give a new proof of a result of Markovic that the mapping class group of a closed surface cannot be geometrically realized as a group of homeomorphisms.
Given an irreducible, end-periodic homeomorphism f of a surface S with finitely many ends, all accumulated by genus, the mapping torus is the interior of a compact, irreducible, atoroidal 3-manifold with incompressible boundary. Our main result is an upper bound on the infimal hyperbolic volume of the compactified mapping torus in terms of the translation length of f on the pants graph of S. This builds on work of Brock and Agol in the finite-type setting. We also construct a broad class of examples of irreducible, end-periodic homeomorphisms and use them to show that our bound is asymptotical…
We present the mathematical background of a software package that computes triangulations of mapping tori of surface homeomorphisms, suitable for Jeff Weeks's program SnapPea. It consists of two programs. jmt computes triangulations and prints them in a human-readable format. jsnap converts this format into SnapPea's triangulation file format and may be of independent interest because it allows for quick and easy generation of input for SnapPea. As an application, we obtain a new solution to the restricted conjugacy problem in the mapping class group.
We prove that the set of non-properness of a polynomial mapping of the three dimensional space which is a local homeomorphism cannot be homeomorphic to the real line $\R.$
We extend the proof of automatic continuity for homeomorphism groups of manifolds to non-compact manifolds and manifolds with marked points and their mapping class groups. Specifically, we show that, for any manifold $M$ homeomorphic to the interior of a compact manifold, and a set $X \subset M$ homeomorphic to the union of a Cantor set and finite set, the relative homeomorphism group $\mathrm{Homeo}(M, X)$ and the mapping class group $\mathrm{Homeo}(M, X)/\mathrm{Homeo}_0(M,X)$ have the property that any homomorphism from such a group to any separable topological group is necessarily continuo…
Nielsen realization problem for the mapping class group $\text{Mod}(S_g)$ asks whether the natural projection $p_g: \text{Homeo}_+(S_g)\to \text{Mod}(S_g)$ has a section. While all the previous results use torsion elements in an essential way, in this paper, we focus on the much more difficult problem of realization of torsion-free subgroups of $\text{Mod}(S_g)$. The main result of this paper is that the Torelli group has no realization inside the area-preserving homeomorphisms.
As a first step to understand how complicated attractors for dynamical systems can be, one may consider the following realizability problem: given a continuum $K \subseteq \mathbb{R}^3$, decide when $K$ can be realized as an attractor for a homeomorphism of $\mathbb{R}^3$. In this paper we introduce toroidal sets as those continua $K \subseteq \mathbb{R}^3$ that have a neighbourhood basis comprised of solid tori and, generalizing the classical notion of genus of a knot, give a natural definition of the genus of toroidal sets and study some of its properties. Using these tools we exhibit knots …
We investigate the mapping class group of an orientable $ω$-bounded surface. Such a surface splits, by Nyikos's Bagpipe Theorem, into a union of a bag (a compact surface with boundary) and finitely many long pipes. The subgroup consisting of classes of homeomorphisms fixing the boundary of the bag is a normal subgroup and is a homomorphic image of the product of mapping class groups of the bag and the pipes.
We introduce and study the notion of a chain group of homeomorphisms of a one-manifold, which is a certain generalization of Thompson's group $F$. The resulting class of groups exhibits a combination of uniformity and diversity. On the one hand, a chain group either has a simple commutator subgroup or the action of the group has a wandering interval. In the latter case, the chain group admits a canonical quotient which is also a chain group, and which has a simple commutator subgroup. On the other hand, every finitely generated subgroup of $\operatorname{Homeo}^+(I)$ can be realized as a subgr…
Thurston obtained a classification of individual surface homeomorphisms via the dynamics of the corresponding mapping class elements on Teichmüller space. In this paper we present certain extended versions of this, first, to random products of homeomorphisms and second, to holomorphic self-maps of Teichmüller spaces.
We give a short and elementary proof of the non-realizability of the mapping class group via homeomorphisms. This was originally established by Markovic, resolving a conjecture of Thurston. With the tools established in this paper, we also obtain some rigidity results for actions of the mapping class group on Euclidean spaces.
We prove the existence of homeomorphisms of a closed, orientable surface of genus 3 or greater that do not extend to any handlebody bounded by the surface. We show that such homeomorphisms exist arbitrarily deep in the Johnson filtration of the mapping class group. The second and third terms of the Johnson filtration are the well-known Torelli group and Johnson subgroup, respectively. Richard Hain has obtained very similar results by different methods.
Crosscap slide is a homeomorphism of a nonorientable surface of genus at least 2, which was introduced under the name Y-homeomorphism by Lickorish as an example of an element of the mapping class group which cannot be expressed as a product of Dehn twists. We prove that the subgroup of the mapping class group of a closed nonorientable surface N generated by all crosscap slides is equal to the level 2 subgroup consisting of those mapping classes which act trivially on H_1(N;Z_2). We also prove that this subgroup is generated by involutions.
Let Gamma_k be the lower central series of a surface group Gamma of a compact surface S with one boundary component. A simple question to ponder is whether a mapping class of S can be determined to be pseudo-Anosov given only the data of its action on Gamma/Gamma_k for some k. In this paper, to each mapping class f which acts trivially on Gamma/Gamma_{k+1}, we associate an invariant Psi_k(f) in End(H_1(S, Z)) which is constructed from its action on Gamma/Gamma_{k+2} . We show that if the characteristic polynomial of Psi_k(f) is irreducible over Z, then f must be pseudo-Anosov. Some explicit ma…
In this note, we prove that the compactly supported mapping class group of a surface containing a genus $3$ subsurface has no realization as a subgroup of the homeomorphism group. We also prove that for certain surfaces with order $6$ symmetries, their mapping class groups have no realization as a subgroup of the homeomorphism group. Examples of such surfaces include the plane minus a Cantor set and the sphere minus a Cantor set.
We show that any isomorphism between mapping class groups of orientable infinite-type surfaces is induced by a homeomorphism between the surfaces. Our argument additionally applies to automorphisms between finite-index subgroups of these `big' mapping class groups and shows that each finite-index subgroup has finite outer automorphism group. As a key ingredient, we prove that all simplicial automorphisms between curve complexes of infinite-type orientable surfaces are induced by homeomorphisms.
In this article, we construct a crystallization of the mapping torus of some (PL) homeomorphisms $f:M \to M$ for a certain class of PL-manifolds $M$. These yield upper bounds for gem-complexity and regular genus of a large class of PL-manifolds. The bound for the regular genus is sharp for the mapping torus of some (PL) homeomorphisms $f:M \to M$, where $M$ is $\mathbb{RP}^2$, $\mathbb{RP}^2\#\mathbb{RP}^2$, $\mathbb{S}^1\times \mathbb{S}^1$, $\mathbb{RP}^3$, $\mathbb{S}^{2} \times \mathbb{S}^1$, $\mathbb{S}^{\hspace{.2mm}2} \mbox{$\times \hspace{-2.6mm}_{-}$} \, \mathbb{S}^{\hspace{.1mm}1}$ o…
We classify right-veering homeomorphisms of the once-punctured torus using the Burau representation of the 3-strand braid group. We show that reducible and periodic mapping classes in B_3 can be identified as right-veering by consideration of the reduced version of the Burau representation. Given any element beta in B_3, we give a method to quickly determine its action on the generators of the fundamental group of the 3-times punctured disk. This action which determines whether beta is right-veering, left-veering, or neither.
Let F a closed connected orientable surface bounding a genus g handlebody H. In this paper we find a finite set of generators for the subgroup E(2,g) of the pure mapping class group of the twice punctured torus PMCG(2,g), consisting of the isotopy classes of homeomorphisms of F which admit an extension to H keeping a properly embedded trivial arc fixed. This subgroup turns out to be important for the study of knots in closed 3-manifolds via (g,1)-decomposition. In fact, the knots represented by the isotopy classes belonging to the same left cosets of E(2,g) in PMCG(2,g) are equivalent.
Let $S$ be a closed, connected, orientable surface of genus at least 3, $\mathcal{C}(S)$ be the complex of curves on $S$ and $Mod_S^*$ be the extended mapping class group of $S$. We prove that a simplicial map, $λ: \mathcal{C}(S) \to \mathcal{C}(S)$, preserves nondisjointness (i.e. if $α$ and $β$ are two vertices in $\mathcal{C}(S)$ and $i(α, β) \neq 0$, then $i(λ(α), λ(β)) \neq 0$) iff it is induced by a homeomorphism of $S$. As a corollary, we prove that if $K$ is a finite index subgroup of $Mod_S^*$ and $f: K \to Mod_S^*$ is an injective homomorphism, then $f$ is induced by a homeomorphism …
We study the action of the homeomorphism group of a surface $S$ on the fine curve graph ${\mathcal C }^\dagger(S)$. While the definition of $\mathcal{C}^\dagger(S)$ parallels the classical curve graph for mapping class groups, we show that the dynamics of the action of ${\mathrm{Homeo}}(S)$ on $\mathcal{C}^\dagger(S)$ is much richer: homeomorphisms induce parabolic isometries in addition to elliptics and hyperbolics, and all positive reals are realized as asymptotic translation lengths. When the surface $S$ is a torus, we relate the dynamics of the action of a homeomorphism on $\mathcal{C}^\da…
We obtain a finite set of generators for the level 2 mapping class group of a closed nonorientable surface of genus $g\ge 3$. This set consists of isotopy classes of Lickorish's Y-homeomorphisms also called crosscap slides.
Some years ago, V. Markovic proved that there is no section of the Mapping Class Group for a closed surface of genus g larger than 5 (in the case of homeomorphims) and more recently generalized this result with D. Saric to the case where g is larger than 1. We will state a periodicity criterion and will use it to simplify some of the arguments given by Markovic and Saric in the proof of their theorem. The periodicity criterion tells us that a homeomorphism of a connected surface must be periodic if the set of connected periodic open sets generates the topology of the surface.
Positive Dehn twist products for some elements of finite order in the mapping class group of a 2-dimensional closed, compact, oriented surface $Σ_g$, which are rotations of $Σ_g$ through $2π/p$, are presented. The homeomorphism invariants of the resulting simply connected symplectic 4- manifolds are computed.
Let $X$ be a closed semialgebraic set of dimension $k.$ If $n\ge 2k+1$, then there is a bi-Lipschitz and semialgebraic embedding of $X$ into $\Bbb R^n.$ Moreover, if $n \ge 2k+2$, then this embedding is unique (up to a bi-Lipschitz and semialgebraic homeomorphism of $\Bbb R^n.$
The Teichmueller polynomial of a fibered 3-manifold plays a useful role in the construction of mapping class having small stretch factor. We provide an algorithm that computes this polynomial of the fibered face associated to a pseudo-Anosov mapping class of a disc homeomorphism. As a byproduct, our algorithm allows us to derive all the relevant informations on the topology of the different fibers that belong to the fibered face.
We study the effect of the mapping class group of a reducible 3-manifold $M$ on each incompressible surface that is invariant under a self-homeomorphism of $M$. As an application of this study we answer a question of F. Rodriguez Hertz, M. Rodriguez Hertz and R. Ures: A reducible 3-manifold admits an Anosov torus if and only if one of its prime summands is either the 3-torus, the mapping torus of $-id$, or the mapping torus of a hyperbolic automorphism.
The positive Dehn twist expressions for the generalizations of the new involutions described in math.GT/0404310 are presented. The homeomorphism types of the Lefschetz fibrations that they define are determined for several examples.
Let $Δ$ be a foliation on a topological manifold $X$, $Y$ be the space of leaves, and $p: X \to Y$ be the natural projection. Endow $Y$ with the factor topology with respect to $p$. Then the group $\mathcal{H}(X, Δ)$ of foliated (i.e. mapping leaves onto leaves) homeomorphisms of $X$ naturally acts on the space of leaves $Y$, which gives a homomorphism $ψ: \mathcal{H}(X, Δ) \to \mathcal{H}(Y)$. We present sufficient conditions when $ψ$ is continuous with respect to the corresponding compact open topologies. In fact similar results hold not only for foliations but for a more general class of pa…
Let R be a compact, connected, orientable surface of genus g with p boundary components. Let C(R) be the complex of curves on R and Mod_R^* be the extended mapping class group of R. Suppose that either g = 2 and p > 1 or g > 2 and p >= 0. We prove that a simplicial map lambda from C(R) to C(R) is superinjective if and only if it is induced by a homeomorphism of R. As a corollary, we prove that if K is a finite index subgroup of Mod_R^* and f is an injective homomorphism from K to Mod_R^*, then f is induced by a homeomorphism of R and f has a unique extension to an automorphism of Mod_R^*. This…
Let $\imath: M\to \RR^{p+2}$ be a smooth embedding from a connected, oriented, closed $p$-dimesional smooth manifold to $\RR^{p+2}$, then there is a spin structure $\imath^\sharp(ς^{p+2})$ on $M$ canonically induced from the embedding. If an orientation-preserving diffeomorphism $τ$ of $M$ extends over $\imath$ as an orientation-preserving topological homeomorphism of $\RR^{p+2}$, then $τ$ preserves the induced spin structure. Let $\esg_\cat(\imath)$ be the subgroup of the $\cat$-mapping class group $\mcg_\cat(M)$ consisting of elements whose representatives extend over $\RR^{p+2}$ as orientat…
The closure of a braid in a closed orientable surface $Σ$ is a link in $Σ\times S^1$. We classify such closed surface braids up to isotopy and homeomorphism (with a small indeterminacy for isotopy of closed sphere braids), algebraically in terms of the surface braid group. We find that in positive genus, braids close to isotopic links if and only if they are conjugate, and close to homeomorphic links if and only if they are in the same orbit of the outer action of the mapping class group on the surface braid group modulo its center.
In the first part of the paper we describe the complex geometry of the universal Teichmüller space $\mathcal T$, which may be realized as an open subset in the complex Banach space of holomorphic quadratic differentials in the unit disc. The quotient $\mathcal S$ of the diffeomorphism group of the circle modulo Möbius transformations may be treated as a smooth part of $\mathcal T$. In the second part we consider the quantization of universal Teichmüller space $\mathcal T$. We explain first how to quantize the smooth part $\mathcal S$ by embedding it into a Hilbert-Schmidt Siegel disc. This qua…
In all possible cases, we prove that local embeddings between two curve complexes whose complexities do not increase from domain to codomain are induced by surface homeomorphism. This is our first main result. From this we can deduce our second, a strong local co-Hopfian result for mapping class groups.
We consider the hyperelliptic handlebody group on a closed surface of genus $g$. This is the subgroup of the mapping class group on a closed surface of genus $g$ consisting of isotopy classes of homeomorphisms on the surface that commute with some fixed hyperelliptic involution and that extend to homeomorphisms on the handlebody. We prove that the logarithm of the minimal dilatation (i.e, the minimal entropy) of all pseudo-Anosov elements in the hyperelliptic handlebody group of genus $g$ is comparable to $1/g$. This means that the asymptotic behavior of the minimal pseudo-Anosov dilatation of…
A crosscap transposition is an element of the mapping class group of a nonorientable surface represented by a homeomorphism supported on a one-holed Klein bottle and swapping two crosscaps. We prove that the mapping class group of a compact nonorientable surface of genus $g\ge 7$ is generated by conjugates of one crosscap transposition. In the case when the surface is either closed or has one boundary component, we give an explicit set of $g+2$ crosscap transpositions generating the mapping class group.
For a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism $f$ on a closed surface of genus $g\geq 2$, for which the entropy is on the order $\frac{1}{g}$ (the lowest possible order), Farb-Leininger-Margalit showed that the volume of the mapping torus is bounded, independent of $g$. We show that the analogous result fails for a surface of fixed genus $g$ with $n$ punctures, by constructing pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism with entropy of the minimal order $\frac{\log n}{n}$, and volume tending to infinity.
A complex of incompressible surfaces in a handlebody is constructed so that it contains, as a subcomplex, the complex of curves of the boundary of the handlebody. For genus 2 handlebodies, the group of automorphisms of this complex is used to characterize the mapping class group of the handlebody. In particular, it is shown that all automorphisms of the complex of incompressible surfaces are geometric, that is, induced by a homeomorphism of the handlebody.
Let $S$ be a surface of finite type which is not a sphere with at most four punctures, a torus with at most two punctures, or a closed surface of genus two. Let $\mathcal{MF}$ be the space of equivalence classes of measured foliations of compact support on $S$ and let $\mathcal{UMF}$ be the quotient space of $\mathcal{MF}$ obtained by identifying two equivalence classes whenever they can be represented by topologically equivalent foliations, that is, forgetting the transverse measure. The extended mapping class group $Γ^*$ of $S$ acts as by homeomorphisms of $\mathcal{UMF}$. We show that the r…
Let $R$ be a compact, connected, orientable surface of genus $g$, $Mod_R^*$ be the extended mapping class group of $R$, $\mathcal{C}(R)$ be the complex of curves on $R$, and $\mathcal{N}(R)$ be the complex of nonseparating curves on $R$. We prove that if $g \geq 2$ and $R$ has at most $g-1$ boundary components, then a simplicial map $λ: \mathcal{N}(R) \to \mathcal{N}(R)$ is superinjective if and only if it is induced by a homeomorphism of $R$. We prove that if $g \geq 2$ and $R$ is not a closed surface of genus two then $Aut(\mathcal{N}(R))= Mod_R^*$, and if $R$ is a closed surface of genus tw…
Let S be a closed surface of genus g >= 2 and z in S a marked point. We prove that the subgroup of the mapping class group Map(S,z) corresponding to the fundamental group pi_1(S,z) of the closed surface does not lift to the group of diffeomorphisms of S fixing z. As a corollary, we show that the Atiyah-Kodaira surface bundles admit no invariant flat connection, and obtain another proof of Morita's non-lifting theorem.
We study injective homomorphisms between big mapping class groups of infinite-type surfaces. First, we construct (uncountably many) examples of surfaces without boundary whose (pure) mapping class groups are not co-Hopfian; these are the first examples of injective endomorphisms of mapping class groups (of surfaces with empty boundary) that fail to be surjective. We then prove that, subject to some topological conditions on the domain surface, any continuous injective homomorphism between (arbitrary) big mapping class groups that sends Dehn twists to Dehn twists is induced by homeomorphism. Fi…
The invariant measured foliations of a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism induce a natural (singular) Sol structure on mapping tori of surfaces with pseudo-Anosov monodromy. We show that when the pseudo-Anosov $ϕ:S\rightarrow S$ has orientable foliations and does not have 1 as an eigenvalue of the induced cohomology action on the closed surface, then the Sol structure can be deformed to nearby cone hyperbolic structures, in the sense of projective structures. The cone angles can be chosen to be decreasing from multiples of $2π$.
