Automorphisms of free groups with boundaries. (Q1880642)

The group \(A_{n,k}\) of automorphisms of a free group of rank \(n\) with \(k\) boundaries was introduced by the second author to show that the natural map from the stable mapping class group of surfaces to the stable automorphism group of free groups gives an infinite loop map on the classifying spaces of the groups after plus construction. There are geometrical and algebraical definitions of the groups considered. In the paper under review a contractible space \(L_{n,k}\) is constructed on which \(A_{n,k}\) acts with finite stabilizers and finite quotient space. So a range of the virtual cohomological dimension of \(A_{n,k}\) is deduced.