Motivated by the work of Birman about the relationship between mapping class groups and braid groups, we discuss the relationship between the orbit braid group and the equivariant mapping class group on the closed surface $M$ with a free and proper group action in this article. Our construction is based on the exact sequence given by the fibration $\mathcal{F}_{0}^{G}M \rightarrow F(M/G,n)$. The conclusion is closely connected with the braid group of the quotient space. Comparing with the situation without the group action, there is a big difference when the quotient space is $\mathbb{T}^{2}$.
Dehn twists around simple closed curves in oriented surfaces satisfy the braid relations. This gives rise to a group theoretic from the braid group to the mapping class group. We prove here that this map is trivial in stable homology with any trivial coefficients. In particular this proves an old conjecture of J. Harer. The main tool is categorical delooping. In an appendix we discuss geometrically defined homomorphisms from the braid to the mapping class group.
We construct several families of embeddings of braid groups into mapping class groups of orientable and non-orientable surfaces and prove that they induce the trivial map in stable homology in the orientable case, but not so in the non-orientable case. We show that these embeddings are non-geometric in the sense that the standard generators of the braid group are not mapped to Dehn twists.
In this article, we give a necessary and sufficient condition for embedding a finite index subgroup of Artin's braid group into the mapping class group of a connected orientable surface.
In this paper we study the minimum dilatation pseudo-Anosov mapping classes coming from fibrations over the circle of a single 3-manifold, the mapping torus for the "simplest pseudo-Anosov braid". The dilatations that arise include the minimum dilatations for orientable mapping classes for genus g=2,3,4,5,8 as well as Lanneau and Thiffeault's conjectural minima for orientable mapping classes, when g = 2,4 (mod 6). Our examples also show that the minimum dilatation for orientable mapping classes is strictly greater than the minimum dilatation for non-orientable ones when g = 4,6,8.
In this paper, we make use of the relations between the braid and mapping class groups of a compact, connected, non-orientable surface N without boundary and those of its orientable double covering S to study embeddings of these groups and their (virtual) cohomological dimensions. We first generalise results of Birman and Chillingworth and of Gonçalves and Guaschi to show that the mapping class group MCG(N ; k) of N relative to a k-point subset embeds in the mapping class group MCG(S; 2k) of S relative to a 2k-point subset. We then compute the cohomological dimension of the braid groups of all…
We prove that the word problem in the mapping class group of the once-punctured surface of genus g has complexity O(|w|^2 g for |w| > log(g) where |w| is the length of the word in a (standard) set of generators. The corresponding bound in the case of the closed surface is O(|w|^2 g^2). We also carry out the same methods for the braid groups, and show that this gives a bound which improves the best known bound in this case; namely, the complexity of the word problem in the n-braid group is O(|w|^2 n), for |w| > log n. We state a similar result for mapping class groups of surfaces with several p…
This paper describes a family of pseudo-Anosov braids with small dilatation. The smallest dilatations occurring for braids with 3, 4 and 5 strands appear in this family. A pseudo-Anosov braid with 2g+1 strands determines a hyperelliptic mapping class with the same dilatation on a genus-g surface. Penner showed that logarithms of least dilatations of pseudo-Anosov maps on a genus-g surface grow asymptotically with the genus like 1/g, and gave explicit examples of mapping classes with dilatations bounded above by log 11/g. Bauer later improved this bound to log 6/g. The braids in this paper give…
In this paper, we classify homomorphisms from the braid group of $n$ strands to the mapping class group of a genus $g$ surface. In particular, we show that when $g<n-2$, all representations are either cyclic or standard. Our result is sharp in the sense that when $g=n-2$, a generalization of the hyperelliptic representation appears, which is not cyclic or standard. This gives a classification of surface bundles over the configuration space of the complex plane. As a corollary, we partially recover the result of Aramayona-Souto, which classifies homomorphisms between mapping class groups, with …
In the study of the relation between the mapping class group M of a surface and the theory of finite-type invariants of homology 3-spheres, three subgroups of the mapping class group play a large role. They are the Torelli group, the Johnson subgroup K and a new subgroup L, which contains K, defined by a choice of a Lagrangian subgroup of the homology of the surface. In this work we determine the quotient L/K, in terms of the precise description of M/K given by Johnson and Morita. We also study the lower central series of L and K, using some natural imbeddings of the pure braid group in L and …
We consider finite-sheeted, regular, possibly branched covering spaces of compact surfaces with boundary and the associated liftable and symmetric mapping class groups. In particular, we classify when either of these subgroups coincides with the entire mapping class group of the surface. As a consequence, we construct infinite families of non-geometric embeddings of the braid group into mapping class groups in the sense of Wajnryb. Indeed, our embeddings map standard braid generators to products of Dehn twists about curves forming chains of arbitrary length. As key tools, we use the Birman-Hil…
We show that the smallest non-cyclic quotients of braid groups are symmetric groups, proving a conjecture of Margalit. Moreover we recover results of Artin and Lin about the classification of homomorphisms from braid groups on n strands to symmetric groups on k letters, where k is at most n. Unlike the original proofs, our method does not use the Bertrand-Chebyshev theorem, answering a question of Artin. Similarly for mapping class group of closed orientable surfaces, the smallest non-cyclic quotient is given by the mod two reduction of the symplectic representation. We provide an elementary p…
This article is dedicated to the study of asymptotically rigid mapping class groups of infinitely-punctured surfaces obtained by thickening planar trees. Such groups include the braided Ptolemy-Thompson groups $T^\sharp,T^\ast$ introduced by Funar and Kapoudjian, and the braided Houghton groups $\mathrm{br}H_n$ introduced by Degenhardt. We present an elementary construction of a contractible cube complex, on which these groups act with cube-stabilisers isomorphic to finite extensions of braid groups. As an application, we prove Funar-Kapoudjian's and Degenhardt's conjectures by showing that $T…
We prove that the symplectic group $Sp(2n,\mathbb Z)$ and the mapping class group $Mod_{S}$ of a compact surface $S$ satisfy the $R_{\infty}$ property. We also show that $B_n(S)$, the full braid group on $n$-strings of a surface $S$, satisfies the $R_{\infty}$ property in the cases where $S$ is either the compact disk $D$, or the sphere $S^2$. This means that for any automorphism $ϕ$ of $G$, where $G$ is one of the above groups, the number of twisted $ϕ$-conjugacy classes is infinite.
This article was submitted to a volume under preparation, with Benson Farb as the editor, on the topic of open problems in surface mapping class groups. The braid group B_n is the mapping class group of an n-times punctured disk. The Iwahori-Hecke algebra H_n is a quotient of the braid group algebra of B_n by a quadratic relation in the standard generators. We discuss how to use H_n to define the Jones polynomial of a knot or link. We also summarize the classification of the irreducible representations of H_n. We conclude with some directions for future research that would apply mapping class …
Suppose that $n\neq p^k$ and $n\neq 2p^k$ for all $k$ and all primes $p$. We prove that for any Hausdorff compactum $X$ with a free action of the symmetric group $\mathfrak S_n$ there exists an $\mathfrak S_n$-equivariant map $X \to {\mathbb R}^n$ whose image avoids the diagonal $\{(x,x\dots,x)\in {\mathbb R}^n|x\in {\mathbb R}\}$. Previously, the special cases of this statement for certain $X$ were usually proved using the equivartiant obstruction theory. Such calculations are difficult and may become infeasible past the first (primary) obstruction. We take a different approach which allows u…
Let $\H_g$ be a genus $g$ handlebody and $\MCG_{2n}(\T_g)$ be the $2n$-punctured mapping class group of $\T_g=\partial\H_g$. In this paper we study two particular subgroups of $\MCG_{2n}(\T_g)$ which generalize Hilden groups. As well as Hilden groups are related to plate closures of braids, these generalizations are related to Heegaard splittings of manifolds and to bridge decompositions of links. Connections between these subgroups and motion groups of links in closed 3-manifolds are also provided.
The $d$-fold ($d \geq 3$) branched coverings on a disk give an infinite family of nongeometric embeddings of braid groups into mapping class groups. We, in this paper, give new explicit expressions of these braid group representations into automorphism groups of free groups in terms of the actions on the generators of free groups. We also give a systematic way of constructing and expressing these braid group representations in terms of a new gadget, called covering groupoid. We prove that each generator $\widetildeβ_i$ of braid group inside mapping class group induced by $d$-fold covering is t…
We consider the (pure) braid groups B_{n}(M) and P_{n}(M), where M is the 2-sphere S^2 or the real projective plane RP^2. We determine the minimal cardinality of (normal) generating sets X of these groups, first when there is no restriction on X, and secondly when X consists of elements of finite order. This improves on results of Berrick and Matthey in the case of S^2, and extends them in the case of RP^2. We begin by recalling the situation for the Artin braid groups. As applications of our results, we answer the corresponding questions for the associated mapping class groups, and we show th…
An Agol cycle is a complete invariant of the conjugacy class of a pseudo-Anosov mapping class. We study necessary and sufficient conditions for equivalent Agol cycles of pseudo-Anosov 3-braids.
In this paper we construct a homomorphism of the affine braid group $Br_n^{aff}$ in the convolution algebra of the equivariant matrix factorizations on the space $\overline{\mathcal{X}}_2=\mathfrak{b}_n\times GL_n\times\mathfrak{n}_n$ considered in the earlier paper of the authors. We explain that the pull-back on the stable part of the space $\overline{\mathcal{X}_2}$ intertwines with the natural homomorphism from the affine braid group $Br_n^{aff}$ to the finite braid group $Br_n$. This observation allows us derive a relation between the knot homology of the closure of $β\in Br_n$ and the kn…
The braided Ptolemy-Thompson group $T^*$ is an extension of the Thompson group $T$ by the full braid group $B_{\infty}$ on infinitely many strands. This group is a simplified version of the acyclic extension considered by Greenberg and Sergiescu, and can be viewed as a mapping class group of a certain infinite planar surface. In a previous paper we showed that $T^*$ is finitely presented. Our main result here is that $T^*$ (and $T$) is asynchronously combable. The method of proof is inspired by Lee Mosher's proof of automaticity of mapping class groups.
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.
S. Bigelow proved that the braid groups are linear. That is, there is a faithful representation of the braid group into the general linear group of some field. Using this, we deduce from previously known results that the mapping class group of a sphere with punctures and hyperelliptic mapping class groups are linear. In particular, the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface of genus 2 is linear.
In the present paper, we construct a monomorphism from (Artin) pure braid group $PB_{n}$ into a group, which is `bigger' than $PB_{n}$. Roughly speaking, this mapping is defined on words of braids by adding `new generators' between generators of $PB_{n}$. By this mapping we can get a new invariant for classical braids. As one of application of this invariant, we will show examples, which are minimal words in $PB_{n}$ and the minimality can be shown by the invariant.
Given a family of groups admitting a braided monoidal structure (satisfying mild assumptions) we construct a family of spaces on which the groups act and whose connectivity yields, via a classical argument of Quillen, homological stability for the family of groups. We show that stability also holds with both polynomial and abelian twisted coefficients, with no further assumptions. This new construction of a family of spaces from a family of groups recovers known spaces in the classical examples of stable families of groups, such as the symmetric groups, general linear groups and mapping class …
In this paper, we generalize the tools that were introduced in [Dar19b] in order to study the Andreadakis problem for subgroups of IAn. In particular, we study the behaviour of the Andreadakis problem when we add inner automorphisms to a subgroup of IAn. We notably use this to show that the Andreadakis equality holds for the pure braid group on n strands modulo its center acting on the free group on n-1 generators , that is, for the (pure, based) mapping class group of the n-punctured sphere acting on its fundamental group.
A result of Malyutin shows that a random walk on the mapping class group gives rise to an element whose fractional Dehn twist coefficient is large or small enough. We show that this leads to several properties of random 3-manifolds and links. For example, random closed braids and open books are hyperbolic.
We show that many normal subgroups of the braid group modulo its centre, and of the mapping class group of a sphere with marked points, have the property that their automorphism and abstract commensurator groups are mapping class groups of such spheres. As one application, we establish the automorphism groups of each term in the lower central series and derived series of the pure braid group. We also obtain new proofs of results of Dyer-Grossman and Orevkov, showing that the automorphism groups of the braid group and of its commutator subgroup are isomorphic. We then calculate the automorphism…
In this paper, we prove that each automorphism of a surface braid group is induced by a homeomorphism of the underlying surface, provided that this surface is a closed, connected, orientable surface of genus at least 2, and the number of strings is at least three. This result generalizes previous results for classical braid groups, mapping class groups, and Torelli groups.
We construct a certain cross product of two copies of the braided dual $\tilde H$ of a quasitriangular Hopf algebra $H$, which we call the elliptic double $E_H$, and which we use to construct representations of the punctured elliptic braid group extending the well-known representations of the planar braid group attached to $H$. We show that the elliptic double is the universal source of such representations. We recover the representations of the punctured torus braid group obtained in arXiv:0805.2766, and hence construct a homomorphism to the Heisenberg double $D_H$, which is an isomorphism if…
Let $b$ be a pseudo-Anosov braid whose permutation has a fixed point and let $M_b$ be the mapping torus by the pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism defined on the genus $0$ fiber $F_b$ associated with $b$. This paper describes a structure of the fibered cone $\mathcal{C}$ of $F$ for $M_b$. We prove that there is a $2$-dimensional subcone $\mathcal{C}_0$ contained in the fibered cone $ \mathcal{C}$ of $F_b$ such that the fiber $F_a$ for each primitive integral class $a \in \mathcal{C}_0$ has genus $0$. We also give a constructive description of the monodromy $ ϕ_a: F_a \rightarrow F_a$ of the fibration …
We prove that if g and n are integers at least two, then the abstract commensurator of the braid group with n strands on a closed orientable surface of genus g is naturally isomorphic to the extended mapping class group of a compact orientable surface of genus g with n boundary components.
We consider Thompson's groups from the perspective of mapping class groups of surfaces of infinite type. This point of view leads us to the braided Thompson groups, which are extensions of Thompson's groups by infinite (spherical) braid groups. We will outline the main features of these groups and some applications to the quantization of Teichmüller spaces. The chapter provides an introduction to the subject with an emphasis on some of the authors results.
The braid groups B_n can be defined as the mapping class group of the n-punctured disc. The Lawrence-Krammer representation of the braid group B_n is the induced action on a certain twisted second homology of the space of unordered pairs of points in the n-punctured disc. Recently, Daan Krammer showed that this is a faithful representation in the case n=4. In this paper, we show that it is faithful for all n.
In this paper, we introduce two new classes of representations of the framed braid groups. One is the homological representation constructed as the action of a mapping class group on a certain homology group. The other is the monodromy representation of the confluent KZ equation, which is a generalization of the KZ equation to have irregular singularities. We also give a conjectural equivalence between these two classes of representations.
We study Question 7.9 in the paper "Monoids in the mapping class group" by Etnyre and Van Horn-Morris; whether a symmetric mapping class admitting a positive factorization is a lift of a quasi-positive braid. We answer affirmatively for mapping classes satisfying certain cyclic conditions.
Evaluating the twisted Morita-Mumford classes bar(h)_p on the Artin braid group B_n, we give the stable algebraic independence of the bar(h)_p's on the automorphism group of the free group, Aut(F_n). This is sharper than the results we obtained by restricting them to the mapping class group.
Pursueing our investigations on the relations between Thompson groups and mapping class groups, we introduce the group $T^*$ (and its further generalizations) which is an extension of the Ptolemy-Thompson group $T$ by means of the full braid group $B_{\infty}$ on infinitely many strands. We prove that it is a finitely presented group with solvable word problem, and give an explicit presentation of it.
We develop a theory of equivariant group presentations and relate them to the second homology group of a group. Our main application says that the second homology group of the Torelli subgroup of the mapping class group is finitely generated as an $Sp(2g,\mathbb{Z})$-module.
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.
In this paper we compute the automorphism groups $\operatorname{Aut}(\mathbf{P}_n(Σ))$ and $\operatorname{Aut}(\mathbf{B}_n(Σ))$ of braid groups $\mathbf{P}_n(Σ)$ and $\mathbf{B}_n(Σ)$ on every orientable surface $Σ$, which are isomorphic to group extensions of the extended mapping class group $\mathcal{M}^*_n(Σ)$ by the transvection subgroup except for a few cases. We also prove that $\mathbf{P}_n(Σ)$ is always a characteristic subgroup of $\mathbf{B}_n(Σ)$ unless $Σ$ is a twice-punctured sphere and $n=2$.
Purpose of the Conference article, intended for a wider audience, is to introduce concepts and techniques used by Bronislaw Wajnryb and the author in order to show the diffeomorphism of certain elementary algebraic surfaces, called ABC surfaces, which are not deformation equivalent. In the first part are recalled the concepts of connected sum, surgeries, Poincare' group, Braids, Riemann surfaces and Dehn's Mapping class group. Then the topics become more advanced, including Lefschetz fibrations, ABC surfaces, symplectic fibrations and braid monodromy.
We investigate the rigidity and asymptotic properties of quantum SU(2) representations of mapping class groups. In the spherical braid group case the trivial representation is not isolated in the family of quantum SU(2) representations. In particular, they may be used to give an explicit check that spherical braid groups and hyperelliptic mapping class groups do not have Kazhdan's property (T). On the other hand, the representations of the mapping class group of the torus do not have almost invariant vectors, in fact they converge to the metaplectic representation of SL(2,Z) on L^2(R). As a co…
V.V. Sharko in his papers and books has investigated functions on manifolds and cobordism. Braids intimately connect with functions on manifolds. These connections are represented by mapping class groups of corresponding discs, by fundamental groups of corresponding punctured discs, and by some other topological or algebraic structures. This paper presents selected algebraic methods and results of braids, links, cobordism connect with investigations by V.V. Sharko. These includes group theoretic results on braids and links, infinitesimal braid group relations and connections as well as connect…
Let B_n be the braid group on n strands, with n at least 4, and let Mod(S) be the extended mapping class group of the sphere with n+1 punctures. We show that the abstract commensurator of B_n is isomorphic to a semidirect product of Mod(S) with a group we refer to as the transvection subgroup, Tv(B_n). We also show that Tv(B_n) is itself isomorphic to a semidirect product of an infinite dimensional rational vector space with the multiplicative group of nonzero rational numbers.
We give several new positive finite presentations for the pure braid group that are easy to remember and simple in form. All of our presentations involve a metric on the punctured disc so that the punctures are arranged "convexly", which is why we describe them as geometric presentaitons. Motivated by a presentation for the full braid group that we call the "rotation presentation", we introduce presentations for the pure braid group that we call the "twist presentation" and the "swing presentation". From the point of view of mapping class groups, the swing presentation can be interpreted as st…
