Superrigidity and mapping class groups (Q1292654)

Let \(S\) be a compact, orientable, connected surface and \(\operatorname {Mod}(S)\) the mapping class group, i.e. the group of isotopy classes of orientation preserving homeomorphisms. The first result is a superrigidity theorem with \(\operatorname {Mod}(S)\) as the target: Any homomorphism from an irreducible lattice in a semisimple Lie group \(G\) of \(\mathbb{R}\)-rank at least two to \(\operatorname {Mod}(S)\) has a finite image. Later in the paper it is shown that the same result holds if \(\operatorname {Mod}(S)\) is replaced with \(B_n\), the braid group on \(n\) strands, \(n\geq 3\). The first superrigidity theorem and the Nielsen realization theorem is used to show that for sufficiently large \(n\), every homomorphism \(SL(n,\mathbb{Z})\to \operatorname {Homeo}^+ (\Sigma_g)\) is trivial where \(\Sigma_g\) is the closed surface of genus \(g\), \(g\geq 2\). A corollary of the superrigidity theorem is that any isometric action of an irreducible lattice, as above, on a Teichmüller space of a surface has a global fixed point.