Symplectic structures on right-angled Artin groups: between the mapping class group and the symplectic group. (Q1006142)

This is a continuation of previous work by the author [Geom. Topol. 13, No. 2, 817-855 (2009; Zbl 1226.20024)]. Let \(\Gamma\) be a graph on \(2n\) vertices, \(A_\Gamma\) denote the right-angled Artin group of \(\Gamma\), \(\omega\in[A_\Gamma,A_\Gamma]\) is a surface relator and \(Q\) is a standard alternating form. The author defines the mapping class group \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Gamma,\omega,Q)\) over \(\Gamma\) with respect to a symplectic structure \((w,Q)\) as the intersection of the stabilizers of \(w\) and \(Q\) in \(\Aut\,A_\Gamma\). When \(\Gamma\) varies from the edgeless graph to the complete graph on \(2g\) vertices, \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Gamma,\omega,Q)\) interpolates between the mapping class group of a genus \(g\) surface with one boundary component and the integral symplectic group \(\mathrm{Sp}(2g,\mathbb{Z})\). The main results of the paper are: Theorem A. The group \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Gamma,\omega,Q)\) is finitely generated. Theorem B. The group \(\ker(\Aut\,A_\Gamma\to\Aut\,H_1(A_\Gamma))\), where \(\Aut\,H_1(A_\Gamma)=A_\Gamma/[A_\Gamma,A_\Gamma]\), is finitely generated. Theorem A gives evidence to support the proposed definition of the mapping class group over \(\Gamma\). Theorem B generalizes a theorem of Magnus which states that \(\ker(\Aut\,F_n\to\mathrm{GL}(n,\mathbb{Z}))\) is finitely generated.