An infinite presentation of the Torelli group (Q1034682)

The Torelli group \({\mathcal T}_g\) is the subgroup of the mapping class group \(\text{Mod}_g\) of a closed orientable surface of genus \(g\) which acts trivially on homology, that is the kernel of the canonical projection of \(\text{Mod}_g\) onto the symplectic group \(\text{Sp}_{2g}(\mathbb Z)\). For \(g \geq 3\), \textit{D. Johnson} constructed a finite set of generators of \({\mathcal T}_g\) [Ann. Math. (2) 118, 423--442 (1983; Zbl 0549.57006)] whereas \textit{D. McCullough} and \textit{A. Miller} showed that \({\mathcal T}_2\) is not finitely generated [Topology Appl. 22, 43--49 (1986; Zbl 0579.57007)]. It is still not known whether \({\mathcal T}_g\) is finitely presented, for \(g \geq 3\). In the present paper, an infinite presentation of \({\mathcal T}_g\) is constructed whose generators and relations have simple topological interpretations; the generators consist of the set of all ``separating twists'', all ``bounding pair maps'' and all ``commutators of simply intersecting pairs'', the relations arise from a short list of topological configurations of these generators on the surface. The proof, by induction on \(g\), relies on the non-separating curve complex of the surface, a simplicial complex on which the mapping class and Torelli groups act; the case \(g = 2\) is derived from a result of \textit{G. Mess} that \({\mathcal T}_2\) is an infinitely generated free group [Topology 31, No.~4, 775--790 (1992; Zbl 0772.57025)]. Along the way, a presentation for the fundamental group of a closed surface is derived whose generating set is the set of all simple closed curves on the surface.