We construct a covering of Culler-Vogtmann Outer space by the Teichmuller spaces of punctured surfaces. By considering the equivariant homology for the action of Out(F_n) on this covering, we construct a spectral sequence converging to the homology of Out(F_n) that has E^1 terms given by the homology of mapping class groups and groups that are, up to finite index, subgroups of mapping class groups. This spectral sequence can be seen as encoding all of the information of how the homology of Out(F_n) is related to the homology of mapping class groups and their subgroups.
Birman-Lubotzky-McCarthy proved that any abelian subgroup of the mapping class groups for orientable surfaces is finitely generated. We apply Birman-Lubotzky-McCarthy's arguments to the mapping class groups for non-orientable surfaces. We especially find a finitely generated group isomorphic to a given torsion-free subgroup of the mapping class groups.
In this paper, we use a result of Dahmani to show that the Euler class of some power subgroup (the subgroup normally generated by a fixed power of Dehn twist about a non-separating curve) is trivial inside the mapping class group of once punctured surface.
In this note we give presentations of all finite subgroups of the mapping class group of a closed surface of genus 2 by the Humphries generators up to conjugacy.
We prove that the action of any non-trivial normal subgroup of the mapping class group of a surface of genus $g\geqslant 2$ is almost minimal on the character variety $X(π_1Σ_g,{\rm SU}_2)$: the orbit of almost every point is dense.
We give a complete description of conjugacy classes of finite subgroups of the mapping class group of the sphere with r marked points. As a corollary we obtain a description of conjugacy classes of maximal finite subgroups of the hyperelliptic mapping class group. In particular, we prove that for a fixed genus g there are at most five such classes.
We prove that if a normal subgroup of the extended mapping class group of a closed surface has an element of sufficiently small support then its automorphism group and abstract commensurator group are both isomorphic to the extended mapping class group. The proof relies on another theorem we prove, which states that many simplicial complexes associated to a closed surface have automorphism group isomorphic to the extended mapping class group. These results resolve the metaconjecture of N.V. Ivanov, which asserts that any "sufficiently rich" object associated to a surface has automorphism group…
Let T(N) be the subgroup of the mapping class group of a nonorientable surface N (possibly with punctures and/or boundary components) generated by twists about two-sided circles. We obtain a simple generating set for T(N). As an application we compute the first homology group (abelianization) of T(N).
Let $N_{g}$ denote the closed non-orientable surface of genus $g$ and let ${\mathcal M} _g$ denote the mapping class group of $N_{g}$. Let ${\mathcal T} _g$ denote the twist subgroup of ${\mathcal M} _g$ which is the subgroup of ${\mathcal M} _g$ is generated by all Dehn twists. In this thesis, we proved that ${\mathcal T} _g$ is generated by six involutions for $g \geq 16$ or $g = 14$.
We construct the first known examples of nontrivial, normal, all pseudo-Anosov subgroups of mapping class groups of surfaces. Specifically, we construct such subgroups for the closed genus two surface and for the sphere with five or more punctures. Using the branched covering of the genus two surface over the sphere and results of Birman and Hilden, we prove that a reducible mapping class of the genus two surface projects to a reducible mapping class on the sphere with six punctures. The construction introduces "Brunnian" mapping classes of the sphere, which are analogous to Brunnian links.
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 discuss a number of open problems about mapping class groups of surfaces. In particular, we discuss problems related to linearity, congruence subgroups, cohomology, pseudo-Anosov stretch factors, Torelli subgroups, and normal subgroups.
We prove that many normal subgroups of the extended mapping class group of a surface with punctures are geometric, that is, that their automorphism groups and abstract commensurator groups are isomorphic to the extended mapping class group. In order to apply our theorem to a normal subgroup we require that the "minimal supports" of its elements satisfy a certain complexity condition that is easy to check in practice. The key ingredient is proving that the automorphism groups of many simplicial complexes associated to punctured surfaces are isomorphic to the extended mapping class group. This r…
Let $N_{g,s}$ denote the nonorientable surface of genus g with s boundary components. Recently Paris and Szepietowski obtained an explicit finite presentation for the mapping class group $M(N_{g,s})$ of the surface $N_{g,s}$, where $s\in{0,1}$ and $g+s>3$. Following this work we obtain a finite presentation for the subgroup $T(N_{g,s})$ of $M(N_{g,s})$ generated by Dehn twists.
Let $M(N_{h,n})$ denote the mapping class group of a compact nonorientable surface of genus $h\ge 7$ and $n\le 1$ boundary components, and let $T(N_{h,n})$ be the subgroup of $M(N_{h,n})$ generated by all Dehn twists. It is known that $T(N_{h,n})$ is the unique subgroup of $M(N_{h,n})$ of index $2$. We prove that $T(N_{h,n})$ (and also $M(N_{h,n})$) contains a unique subgroup of index $2^{g-1}(2^g-1)$ up to conjugation, and a unique subgroup of index $2^{g-1}(2^g+1)$ up to conjugation, where $g=\lfloor(h-1)/2\rfloor$. The other proper subgroups of $T(N_{h,n})$ and $M(N_{h,n})$ have index great…
We define families of invariants for elements of the mapping class group of S, a compact orientable surface. Fix any characteristic subgroup H of pi_1(S) and restrict to J(H), any subgroup of mapping classes that induce the identity modulo H. To any unitary representation, r of pi_1(S)/H we associate a higher-order rho_r-invariant and a signature 2-cocycle sigma_r. These signature cocycles are shown to be generalizations of the Meyer cocycle. In particular each rho_r is a quasimorphism and each sigma_r is a bounded 2-cocycle on J(H). In one of the simplest non-trivial cases, by varying r, we e…
Let Mod(S) denote the mapping class group of a compact, orientable surface S. We prove that finitely generated subgroups of Mod(S) which are not virtually abelian have uniform exponential growth with minimal growth rate bounded below by a constant depending only, and necessarily, on S. For the proof, we find in any such subgroup explicit free group generators which are "short" in any word metric. Besides bounding growth, this allows a bound on the return probability of simple random walks.
Let $M=H_1\cup_S H_2$ be a Heegaard splitting of a closed orientable 3-manifold $M$ (or a bridge decomposition of a link exterior). Consider the subgroup $\mathrm{MCG}^0(H_j)$ of the mapping class group of $H_j$ consisting of mapping classes represented by auto-homeomorphisms of $H_j$ homotopic to the identity, and let $G_j$ be the subgroup of the automorphism group of the curve complex $\mathcal{CC}(S)$ obtained as the image of $\mathrm{MCG}^0(H_j)$. Then the group $G=<G_1, G_2>$ generated by $G_1$ and $G_2$ preserve the homotopy class in $M$ of simple loops on $S$. In this paper, we study th…
In this note we show that many subgroups of mapping class groups of infinite-type surfaces without boundary have trivial centers, including all normal subgroups. Using similar techniques, we show that every nontrivial normal subgroup of a big mapping class group contains a nonabelian free group. In contrast, we show that no big mapping class group satisfies the strong Tits alternative enjoyed by finite-type mapping class groups. We also give examples of big mapping class groups that fail to satisfy even the classical Tits alternative and give a proof that every countable group appears as a sub…
Suppose subgroups $A,B < MCG(S)$ in the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface $S$ are given and let $\langle A, B \rangle$ be the subgroup they generate. We discuss a question by Minsky asking when $\langle A, B \rangle \simeq A*_{A \cap B} B$ for handlebody subgroups $A,B$.
We characterize convex cocompact subgroups of mapping class groups that arise as subgroups of specially embedded right-angled Artin groups. That is, if the right-angled Artin group G in Mod(S) satisfies certain conditions that imply G is quasi-isometrically embedded in Mod(S), then a purely pseudo-Anosov subgroup H of G is convex cocompact in Mod(S) if and only if it is combinatorially quasiconvex in G. We use this criterion to construct convex cocompact subgroups of Mod(S) whose orbit maps into the curve complex have small Lipschitz constants.
The first author conjectured certain relations for Morita-Mumford classes and Newton classes in the integral cohomology of mapping class groups (integral Riemann-Roch formulae). In this paper, the conjecture is verified for cyclic subgroups of mapping class groups.
In this paper we prove a combination theorem for Veech subgroups of the mapping class group analogous to the first Klein-Maskit combination theorem for Kleinian groups in which two Fuchsian subgroups are amalgamated along a parabolic subgroup. As a corollary, we construct subgroups of the mapping class group (for all genus at least 2), which are isomorphic to non-abelian closed surface groups in which all but one conjugacy class (up to powers) is pseudo-Anosov.
For a finitely generated group, there are two recent generalizations of the notion of a quasiconvex subgroup of a word-hyperbolic group, namely a stable subgroup and a Morse or strongly quasiconvex subgroup. Durham and Taylor defined stability and proved stability is equivalent to convex cocompactness in mapping class groups. Another natural generalization of quasiconvexity is given by the notion of a Morse or strongly quasiconvex subgroup of a finitely generated group, studied recently by Tran and Genevois. In general, a subgroup is stable if and only if the subgroup is Morse and hyperbolic. …
We show that the normal closure of any periodic element of the mapping class group of a non-orientable surface whose order is greater than 2 contains the commutator subgroup, which for $g\geq 7$ is equal to the twist subgroup, and provide necessary and sufficient conditions for the normal closures of involutions to contain the twist subgroup. Finally, we provide a criterion for a periodic element to normally generate $\mathcal{M}(N_g)$ and give examples.
Let M be a surface (possibly nonorientable) with punctures and/or boundary components. The paper is a study of ``geometric subgroups'' of the mapping class group of M, that is subgroups corresponding to inclusions of subsurfaces (possibly disconnected). We characterise the subsurfaces which lead to virtually abelian geometric subgroups. We provide algebraic and geometric conditions under which two geometric subgroups are commensurable. We also describe the commensurator of a geometric subgroup in terms of the stabiliser of the underlying subsurface. Finally, we show some applications of our an…
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 …
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.
A normal subgroup of the (extended) mapping class group of a surface is said to be geometric if its automorphism group is the mapping class group. We prove that in the case of the Cantor tree surface, every normal subgroup is geometric. We note that there is no non-trivial finite-type mapping class group for which this statement is true. We study a generalisation of the curve graph, proving that its automorphism group is again the mapping class group. This strategy is adapted from that of Brendle-Margalit and the author for certain normal subgroups in the finite-type setting.
This paper is a study of the subgroups of the mapping class groups of Riemann surfaces, called "geometric" subgroups, corresponding to the inclusion of subsurfaces. Our analysis includes surfaces with boundary and with punctures. The centres of all the mapping class groups are calculated. We determine the kernel of inclusion-induced maps of the mapping class group of a subsurface, and give necessary and sufficient conditions for injectivity. In the injective case, we show that the commensurability class of a geometric subgroup completely determines up to isotopy the defining subsurface, and we…
We prove that various subgroups of the mapping class group $Mod(Σ)$ of a surface $Σ$ are at least exponentially distorted. Examples include the Torelli group (answering a question of Hamenstadt), the "point-pushing" and surface braid subgroups, and the Lagrangian subgroup. Our techniques include a method to compute lower bounds on distortion via representation theory and an extension of Johnson theory to arbitrary subgroups of $H_1(Σ;\mathbb{Z})$.
A finite presentation for the subgroup of the mapping class group of a compact non-orientable surface generated by all Dehn twists was given by Stukow. In this paper, we give an infinite presentation for this group, mainly using the presentation given by Stukow and Birman exact sequences on mapping class groups of non-orientable surfaces.
We give a small generating set for the twist subgroup of the mapping class group of a non-orientable surface by Dehn twists. The difference between the number of the generators and a lower bound of numbers of generators for the twist subgroup by Dehn twists is one. The lower bounds is obtained from an argument of Hirose [5].
The theme of this survey is that subgroups of the mapping class group of a finite type surface S can be studied via the geometric/dynamical properties of their action on the Thurston compactification of the Teichmuller space of S, just as discrete subgroups of the isometries of hyperbolic space can be studied via their action on compactified hyperbolic space.
We show that every subgroup of the mapping class group MCG(S) of a compact surface S is either virtually abelian or it has infinite dimensional second bounded cohomology. As an application, we give another proof of the Farb-Kaimanovich-Masur rigidity theorem that states that MCG(S) does not contain a higher rank lattice as a subgroup.
Let $g\geq3$ and $n\geq0$, and let ${\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$ be the mapping class group of a surface of genus $g$ with $n$ boundary components. We prove that ${\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$ contains a unique subgroup of index $2^{g-1}(2^{g}-1)$ up to conjugation, a unique subgroup of index $2^{g-1}(2^{g}+1)$ up to conjugation, and the other proper subgroups of ${\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$ are of index greater than $2^{g-1}(2^{g}+1)$. In particular, the minimum index for a proper subgroup of ${\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$ is $2^{g-1}(2^{g}-1)$.
Let $Γ_{g,b}$ denote the orientation-preserving Mapping Class Group of a closed orientable surface of genus $g$ with $b$ punctures. For a group $G$ let $Φ_f(G)$ denote the intersection of all maximal subgroups of finite index in $G$. Motivated by a question of Ivanov as to whether $Φ_f(G)$ is nilpotent when $G$ is a finitely generated subgroup of $Γ_{g,b}$, in this paper we compute $Φ_f(G)$ for certain subgroups of $Γ_{g,b}$. In particular, we answer Ivanov's question in the affirmative for these subgroups of $Γ_{g,b}$.
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…
Ivanov's finite-index Frattini conjecture for subgroups of mapping class groups
Université Bourgogne Europe, CNRS, IMB UMR 5584（勃艮第欧洲大学）；Institut Universitaire de France（法国高等研究院）；Department of Mathematics, Michigan State University（密歇根州立大学数学系）
We develop a theory of convex cocompact subgroups of the mapping class group MCG of a closed, oriented surface S of genus at least 2, in terms of the action on Teichmuller space. Given a subgroup G of MCG defining an extension L_G: 1--> pi_1(S) --> L_G --> G -->1 we prove that if L_G is a word hyperbolic group then G is a convex cocompact subgroup of MCG. When G is free and convex cocompact, called a "Schottky subgroup" of MCG, the converse is true as well; a semidirect product of pi_1(S) by a free group G is therefore word hyperbolic if and only if G is a Schottky subgroup of MCG. The special…
We classify homomorphisms from mapping class groups by using finite subgroups. First, we give a new proof of a result of Aramayona--Souto that homomorphisms between mapping class groups of closed surfaces are trivial for a range of genera. Second, we show that only finitely many mapping class groups of closed surfaces have non-trivial homomorphisms into $\text{Homeo}(\mathbb{S}^n)$ for any $n$. We also prove that every homomorphism from $\text{Mod}(S_g)$ to $\text{Homeo}(\mathbb{S}^2)$ or $\text{Homeo}(\mathbb{S}^3)$ is trivial if $g\ge 3$, extending a result of Franks--Handel.
We obtain a finite generating set for the level 2 twist subgroup of the mapping class group of a closed non-orientable surface. The generating set consists of crosscap pushing maps along non-separating two-sided simple loops and squares of Dehn twists along non-separating two-sided simple closed curves. We also prove that the level 2 twist subgroup is normally generated in the mapping class group by a crosscap pushing map along a non-separating two-sided simple loop for genus $g\geq 5$ and $g=3$. As an application, we calculate the first homology group of the level 2 twist subgroup for genus $…
We study subgroups of the mapping class group of the torus generated by powers generated by powers of Dehn twists. We give a criterion to show when a collection of powers Dehn twists generates a free group using the ping pong lemma. We show that the subgroup generated by three uniform powers of Dehn twists can be either the whole mapping class group, a direct product of a free group of rank two with the cyclic group of order two, or a free group of rank at most three. We characterize subgroups generated by a collection of (respectively squares of) Dehn twists, if there is a pair among so that …
Let $Γ$ be either the mapping class group of a closed surface of genus $\geq 2$, or the automorphism group of a free group of rank $\geq 3$. Given any homological representation $ρ$ of $Γ$ corresponding to a finite cover, and any term $\mathcal{I}_k$ of the Johnson filtration, we show that $ρ(\mathcal{I}_k)$ has finite index in $ρ(\mathcal{I})$, the Torelli subgroup of $Γ$. Since $[\mathcal{I}: \mathcal{I}_k] = \infty$ for $k > 1$, this implies for instance that no such representation is faithful.
Let Mod(S) be the extended mapping class group of a surface S. For S the twice-punctured torus, we show that there exists an isomorphism of finite index subgroups of Mod(S) which is not the restriction of an inner automorphism. For S a torus with at least three punctures, we show that every injection of a finite index subgroup of Mod(S) into Mod(S) is the restriction of an inner automorphism; this completes a program begun by Irmak. For all of the above surfaces, we establish the co-Hopf property for finite index subgroups of Mod(S).
