On the fundamental groups at infinity of the moduli spaces of compact Riemann surfaces (Q1348883)

The authors give a definition of the fundamental group at infinity in a topological context. Given a paracompact differentiable manifold \(M\), they define first a \textit{basepoint at infinity} \(*\) for \(M\) by taking an open set \(U\subset M\) such that for any compact set \(K\), there exists a compact set \(K'\) with \(K'\subset K\) and \(U\setminus K'\) nonempty and simply connected. Then, they give the following Definition. Let \(M\) be a paracompact differentiable manifold. Let \(*\) be a basepoint at infinity for \(M\), defined by an open set \(U\). The \textit{topological fundamental group at infinity of \(M\) based at \(*\)}, denoted by \(\pi_1^{\infty}(M,*)\), is then the inverse limit \(\varprojlim\pi_1(M\setminus K, U\setminus K)\), this inverse limit being taken over the cofinal family of compact subsets \(K\) of \(M\) such that \(U\setminus K\) is simply connected, partially ordered by inclusion, and using the natural induced maps on the fundamental groups. Let \(M_g\) be the moduli space of closed Riemann surfaces of genus \(g\). The authors prove the following Theorem. \(\pi_1^{\infty}(M_g)=\{1\}\) for \(g>2\) and \(\pi_1^{\infty}(M_2)=Z/5Z\). The result is related to questions raised by Grothendieck in his \textit{Esquisse d'un Programme} [cf. \textit{P. Lochak} and \textit{L. Schneps} (ed.), Geometric Galois actions I, Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 242, Cambridge Univ. Press, Cambridge, U. K. (1997; Zbl 0868.00041)].