Automorphisms of the pants complex (Q1430011)

Let \(S\) denote a compact, connected, orientable surface of genus \(g\), possibly with nonempty boundary. Associated to \(S\) one can define any number of abstract simplicial complexes, known generically as ``curve complexes'', which model \(S\). The most important and well-known of these is the complex of curves introduced by \textit{W. J. Harvey} [Riemann surfaces and related topics: Proc. 1978 Stony Brook Conf., Ann. Math. Stud. 97, 245--251 (1981; Zbl 0461.30036)]. In 1989, Ivanov proved that the group of simplicial automorphisms of Harvey's complex is isomorphic to the extended mapping class group of \(S\) modulo its center, \textit{N. V. Ivanov} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 1997, No. 14, 651--666 (1997; Zbl 0890.57018)]. (Certain low-genus cases were completed by Korkmaz and Luo.) Ivanov used his result to (re-)prove that every automorphism of the mapping class group of \(S\) is induced by a homeomorphism of \(S\). The present paper should be considered together with a closely related paper [\textit{E. Irmak} and \textit{M. Korkmaz}, ``Automorphisms of the Hatcher-Thurston Complex, arXiv:math.GT/0409033 v2]. The paper of Irmak and Korkmaz was posted subsequent to the publication of the paper under review, but appears to be independent work. Both papers have as their main theorem the expected analogy to Ivanov's result: the group of simplicial automorphisms of a certain complex associated to \(S\) is isomorphic to the extended mapping class group of \(S\), modulo its center. (Again there are exceptions in low genus.) The primary difference between the papers is the complex of interest. The paper under review deals with the pants complex, in which a vertex corresponds to the isotopy class of a pants decomposition of \(S\). The paper of Irmak and Korkmaz deals with the Hatcher-Thurston complex, in which a vertex corresponds to a cut system on \(S\); that is, the isotopy class of \(g\) disjoint curves whose complement is connected. In each complex, two vertices are connected by an edge if the corresponding two sets of curves have all but one curve in common, and the curves by which they differ intersect one another precisely once. Each complex also contains two-cells attached to certain cycles in the one-skeleton. Each of these complexes was first defined for closed surfaces in \textit{A. E. Hatcher} and \textit{W. Thurston} [Invent. Math. 79, 225--246 (1985; Zbl 0602.57002)]. The basic idea of the present author's argument is to prove the existence of an induced automorphism of Harvey's complex and appeal to the results of Ivanov, Korkmaz and Luo. Similarly, Irmak and Kormaz show the existence of an induced automorphism of yet another curve complex and appeal to a result of \textit{P. Schmutz-Schaller} [Compos. Math. 122, No. 3, 243--260 (2000; Zbl 0981.57004)]. From the paper of Irmak and Korkmaz: ``While the results of [Margalit] and of [Irmak-Korkmaz] are similar in spirit, neither of them implies the other.''