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7 votes
2 answers
353 views

Finite normal subgroup of mapping class group

Let $\Sigma$ be a finite-type orientable surface with negative Euler characteristic, and $\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)$ denote the mapping class group. What are the finite normal subgroups in $\mathrm{Mod}(\...
2 votes
1 answer
97 views

Fundamental domain for the action on curve complex

Suppose $S$ is a surface and the Mapping Class Group, $Mod(S)$, of $S$, is the group of self-homeomorphisms of $S$, up to isotopy. This group acts on a graph called "curve graph", denote by $...
6 votes
1 answer
166 views

Translation length on annular curve graphs

Question about curve stabilisers acting on annular curve graphs, plus context since I'm interested in being fact-checked. Definition: let the group $G$ act by isometries on a metric space $(X,d)$. ...
3 votes
0 answers
228 views

What is known about the map $\text{Mod}_g^1 \rightarrow \text{Aut}(F_{2g})$?

Follow up question, edited in on 12/20 below: Letting $\text{Mod}_g^1$ be the mapping class group of a surface with one boundary component (and basepoint on the boundary) and identify its fundamental ...
13 votes
2 answers
697 views

Mapping Out(F_n) to the mapping class group

Let $\mathrm{Out}(F_g)$ denote the automorphism group of a free group, and $\mathrm{Mod}_g$ the mapping class group of a closed oriented genus $g$ surface. Is there a map, as indicated with the dashed ...
2 votes
0 answers
139 views

Image of the pure braid group under the Artin presentation into the automorphism group of the nilpotent quotient of a free group?

As I know, it is unknown that the image of the mapping class group of the surface and its Johnson filtration under the higher Johnson homomorphisms. There are a relationship between the mapping class ...
4 votes
1 answer
236 views

Mapping class groups of Haken Seifert 3-manifolds (not small)

This is a somewhat broad question. I would like to get an idea of what is known about mapping class groups (MCG) of a Seifert manifold $M$, in particular how to systematically compute it. I want to ...
8 votes
2 answers
695 views

Braid groups and Kazhdan's property (T)

In Nica's dissertation Group actions on median spaces, we can read the following assertion: Braid groups do not contain infinite subgroups satisfying Kazhdan's property (T). This is used in order to ...
6 votes
1 answer
658 views

Generalized Birman exact sequence for surfaces with boundaries

Let $S_g^n$ be a surface of genus g with n boundaries and let $Mod(S_g^n)$ be its mapping class group. We will also denote by $S_{g,m}^n$ a surface of genus g with n boundaries and m punctures. The ...
4 votes
0 answers
209 views

Image of the mapping class group of surfaces into automorphism group?

Let $S_{g,p}^n$ be a compact oriented surface of genus $g$ with $p$ punctures and $n$ boundary components, and $\operatorname{Mod}(S)$ and $\operatorname{PMod}(S)$ be the mapping class group and the ...
14 votes
2 answers
609 views

Symplectic mapping class group and the "Lagrangian sphere complex"

For a genus $g$ surface $\Sigma_g$, the mapping class group $\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma_g)$ acts on the curve complex $\mathcal C(\Sigma_g)$: vertices being isotopy classes of essential, nonseparating, ...
5 votes
0 answers
228 views

Automorphism groups of cocompact Fuchsian groups as mapping class groups

Let $\Gamma$ be a cocompact Fuchsian group. So it has presentation $$\langle x_1,y_1, \dots, x_g,y_g,z_1, \ldots, z_r \mid [x_1,y_1] \cdots [x_g,y_g]z_1 \cdots z_r=1, \ z_i^{m_i}=1 \rangle$$ for some $...
6 votes
2 answers
522 views

generators for the handlebody group of genus two

Is the handlebody group of genus two surface generated by Dehn twists along properly embedded disks and annuli? Are there alternative ways to describe a set of generators that are conceptually simple ...
4 votes
2 answers
330 views

Nielsen-Thurston decomposition from the product of Dehn twists

Given a closed surface of genus $g\geq 2$, we know that the mapping class group $Mod(S)$ is generated by the Dehn twists. My question is Given an element as a product of Dehn twist, is it possible ...
2 votes
1 answer
245 views

Length of a simple closed curve under Pseudo-Anosov maps

Let $S$ be a fixed hyperbolic surface with genus $g$ and $n$ punctures. Given any pseudo-Anosov map $f$ on $S$ (with stretch factor $\lambda$) with stable and unstable measured foliations $\mu^s$ and $...
1 vote
0 answers
153 views

Topological entropy and pseudo-Anosov dilatation for punctured surface

Let $S_{g,n}$ be a closed surface of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures. Assume $2-2g-n<0$. Let $f$ be a pseudo-Anosov mapping class with dilatation $\lambda_f$. In the introduction (1st page) of the ...
5 votes
1 answer
787 views

The action of the mapping class group of a punctured disk on the boundary at infinity of the universal cover

Let $\mathbb{D}\subset\mathbb{C}$ be the unit disk, and remove $n\geq 2$ of its points $P$. The resulting object will be called the punctured disk $\mathbb{D}_n$ in the following. I am interested in ...
5 votes
2 answers
530 views

Finiteness properties of mapping class groups

Question: Is it known if the mapping class groups (of surfaces of finite type) are similar to Gromov-hyperbolic groups in the following senses: 1) Does every finite generating set give us a finite ...
5 votes
0 answers
157 views

Relation between point pushing pseudo-Anosov map and the minimum length

Let $S$ be a closed hyperbolic surface. Suppose $Mod(S)$ denotes the mapping class groups and $T(F)$ denotes the Teichmüller space. By Birman exact sequence we get the point pushing map $Push:\pi_1(S,...
3 votes
0 answers
141 views

Translation discreteness of pseudo-Anosov elements

Consider the action of mapping class groups on the curve graphs. A pseudo-Anosov element $g$ acts by a loxodromic isometry on the hyperbolic curve graphs. The translation length of $g$ is the limit $\...
6 votes
1 answer
257 views

Explicit description (=pictures!) of elements in $Mod_g[k]$?

This question is probably obvious to experts but I couldn't find the answer in the literature... Background: Consider the mapping class group $Mod_g$ of the closed genus $g$ surface. There are many ...
3 votes
0 answers
414 views

Geometric intersection number for product of elements of the fundamental group

Let $F$ be a hyperbolic surface and $p\in F$ be a point. Consider $\pi_1(F,p)$, the fundamental group of $F$ with base point $p$. Let $x,y\in \pi_1(F,p)$ and $z$ be a simple closed curve in $F$ such ...
8 votes
2 answers
566 views

Pseudo-Anosov maps with same dilatation.

Let $S$ be a hyperbolic surface. Suppose $\mathcal{T}$ denotes the Teichmuller space of $S$ and $Mod(S)$ denotes the mapping class group of $S$. Given any pseudo-Anosov element $f\in Mod(S)$, suppose $...
8 votes
1 answer
349 views

Subgroups of the mapping class group of a surface generated by Dehn twists

Let $G$ be the mapping class group of a surface of genus $g > 1$. Is it known for which positive integer $k$ one can find a subgroup $H$ of $G$ generated by a finite number of Dehn twists and a ...
16 votes
1 answer
1k views

Mapping class group and CAT(0) spaces

I hope the questions are not too vague. Is the mapping class group of an orientable punctured surface $CAT(0)$ ? Is any of the remarkable simplicial complexes (curve complex, arc complex...) built ...
4 votes
2 answers
666 views

Action of Mapping Class Group on Arc complex

Suppose $S$ is a surface of finite type with nonempty boundary. Now consider the arc complex $\mathcal{A}$. The action of Mod(S)(mapping class group) on the set of all vertices has finitely many ...
2 votes
1 answer
293 views

Quasi-isometric embeddings of the mapping class group into the Teichmuller space

Does there exist a quasi-isometric embedding $$MCG(S) \to (\mathrm{Teich}(S), d)$$ for $d$ any "known" distance on the Teichmuller space (i.e. Teichmuller, Weil-Petersson, Thurston...) ?
8 votes
1 answer
721 views

Surface groups and non separating loops

QUESTION: Let $g \geq 4$, $S(g)$ be the fundamental group of the genus $g$ surface, and $G$ be finitely generated (the number of generators $\leq 3$) group with abelianization of rank less than equal ...
18 votes
2 answers
790 views

The kernel of the map from the handlebody group to Outer automorphisms of a free group

Let $K$ be a compact oriented 3-dimensional handlebody of genus $g$. The group $H_g$ of isotopy classes of diffeomorphisms of $K$ is called the handlebody group. (It embeds as a subgroup of the ...
3 votes
1 answer
527 views

How do Dehn functions of special linear and mapping class groups behave?

Hi, I apologize for the basic questions. I am looking for good references on the following problems: 1) What is known about the Dehn function of $SL_n(\mathbb{Z})$? 2) What is known about the Dehn ...