Non virtually solvable subgroups of mapping class groups have non virtually solvable representations (Q2035059): Difference between revisions

Let \(\Sigma\) denote a compact orientable surface of finite type with at least one boundary component. Let Mod\((\Sigma)\) and \(\Gamma\) denote the mapping class group of \(\Sigma\) and a non virtually solvable subgroup of Mod\((\Sigma)\), respectively. The author points out that A. Lubotzky asked the following question: Given a non virtually solvable subgroup \(\Gamma < \mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\), is there a finite dimensional representation \(\rho : \mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma) \to GL(V)\) such that \(\rho(\Gamma)\) is not virtually solvable? The author establishes an affirmative answer to this question, provided the surface has non-empty boundary. More explicitly, the author shows that there is a finite cover \(p: \Sigma' \to \Sigma\) such that the image \(\rho_p (\Gamma)\) under the homological representation \(\rho_p\) is not virtually solvable. Moreover, if \(\Gamma\) contains a pseudo-Anosov element then this cover can be taken to be a regular cover with a solvable deck group. Using \textit{A. Lubotzky} and \textit{C. Meiri}'s result which is one of the main results in their paper [J. Am. Math. Soc. 25, No. 4, 1119--1148 (2012; Zbl 1283.20075)], together with the result above, the author obtains the following two corollaries related to random elements in subgroups of Mod\((\Sigma)\): Let \(\Sigma\) be as above and let \(\Gamma < \mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\) be a non virtually solvable finitely generated group. 1. Then \(\bigcup_{m=2}^{\infty} \Gamma^{m}\) is exponentially small in \(\Gamma\). 2. Let \(X \subset \Gamma\) be the set of all elements with topological entropy 0. Then \(X\) is exponentially small in \(\Gamma\). The author also notes that the last corollary is already known (see for example [\textit{M. T. Clay} et al., Groups Geom. Dyn. 6, No. 2, 249--278 (2012; Zbl 1245.57004); \textit{J. Maher}, J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 86, No. 2, 366--386 (2012; Zbl 1350.37010); \textit{T. Sakasai}, IRMA Lect. Math. Theor. Phys. 17, 531--594 (2012; Zbl 1272.57001)]) and has been proved by several authors using different methods.