The universal surface bundle over the Torelli space has no sections (Q2043054)

Let \(\mathcal{S}_{g,n}\) be a closed orientable surface of genus \(g\) with \(n\) marked points. The \textit{Torelli group} \(\mathcal{T}_{g,n}\) is the subgroup of the mapping class group \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_{g,n})\) of \(\mathcal{S}_{g,n}\) (fixing setwise the \(n\) marked points) which acts trivially on the first integer cohomology \(H^1(\mathcal{S}_g;\mathbb{Z})\). The main result of the present paper states that, for \(g > 3\), the Birman exact sequence \(1 \to \pi_1(\mathcal{S}_g) \to\mathcal{T}_{g,1} \to\mathcal{T}_g \to 1\) does not split (omitting \(n = 0\); for \(g = 2\), \(\mathcal{T}_2\) is a free group so the sequence splits, the case \(g = 3\) remains open). In a second theorem the author proves that, for \(n> 1\) and \(g > 3\), the universal Torelli bundle has no continuous sections; this bundle classifies smooth \(\mathcal{S}_g\)-bundles equipped with a basis of \(H^1(\mathcal{S}_g;\mathbb{Z})\) and \(n\) unordered points on each fiber. The pure universal Torelli bundle instead, fixing each of the \(n\) distinguished points, has exactly \(n\) distinct sections up to homotopy. Also the Birman exact sequence \(1 \to \pi_1(\mathcal{S}_g) \to\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_{g,1}) \to\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_g) \to 1\) does not split since every subgroup of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_{g,1})\) is cyclic whereas \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_g)\) has many noncyclic finite subgroups; this argument does not work for torsion-free subgroups of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_g)\) like Torelli groups. In a recent paper of the present author and \textit{N. Salter} [Math. Res. Lett. 28, No. 2, 383--413 (2021; Zbl 07353355)], a virtual non-splitting of Birman exact sequences for finite index subgroups of Torelli groups is established, giving in particular another proof as well as a strengthening of the main result of the present paper. Finally, the author poses the splitting problem also for the Birman exact sequences associated to the other subgroups of the Johnson filtration of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\mathcal{S}_g)\).