Some homological invariants of the mapping class group of a three-dimensional handlebody (Q1876284)

The mapping class group \({\mathcal{H}}_g\) of a genus \(g\) handlebody is the group of isotopy classes of orientation-preserving self-diffeomorphisms of the handlebody. It is shown in this paper that the virtual cohomological dimension of \({\mathcal{H}}_g\) is \(4g-5\). This is proved by showing that a certain subgroup \(B_g\), called the Mess subgroup, of the mapping class group \({\mathcal{M}}_g\) of a closed orientable surface of genus \(g\) is contained in \({\mathcal{H}}_g\), and by using two known results: The virtual cohomological dimensions of \({\mathcal{M}}_g\) and \(B_g\) are both \(4g-5\) a result of \textit{J. Harer} [Invent. Math. 84, 157--176 (1986; Zbl 0592.57009)], and by an unpublished result of \textit{G. Mess}, respectively. Another result proved in the paper is that the Euler number of \({\mathcal{H}}_g\) is zero. This is shown by looking at the action of \({\mathcal{H}}_g\) on the disc complex associated to the handlebody.