Hi,All:
Let Mg be the Mapping Class Group for $S_g$, the genus-g orientable surface, and
consider the action of Mg on $H_1(S_g,\mathbb Z)$ sending f in Mg to m in $Sp^2(2g,\mathbb Z)$
through the induced map on homology .Why is this action a surjection onto
$Sp^2(2g,\mathbb Z)$? ; I cannot see why every m in $Sp^2(2g,\mathbb Z)$ necessarily comes from
some f in Mg. My group theory is a bit weak, so I may be missing some basic results. Sp^2 is the
kernel of the mod2 reduction map from $H_1(Sg,\mathbb Z)$ to $H_1(Sg.\mathbb Z_2)$ , which I
know is natural, but I cannot if the naturality helps.
A similar second one: Let SPg be the spin-mapping class group , and consider this time
the action on $H_1(Sg,\mathbb Z_2)$, sending g in SPg to m' in Og (orthogonal group,
preserving the Rokhlin form, but I'm pretty sure this generalizes to all orthogonal groups),
via the induced map on homology again. I cannot see either why this second action is
surjective onto Og, tho I suspect that since Og is defined over $Z_2$ (more precisely
over $H_1(Sg,\mathbb Z_2)$, this makes it a symplectic group, so that this case may reduce
to the one above with $Sp(2g,\mathbb Z)$? ; I cannot see why every m in $Sp(2g,\mathbb Z)$ necessarily comes from some f in Mg. My group theory is a bit weak, so I may be missing some basic results.
Any Ideas?
Thanks.