A small normal generating set for the handlebody subgroup of the Torelli group (Q2312743)

Let \(H_g \subset S^3\) be an oriented 3-dimensional handlebody of genus \(g\). The boundary \(\partial H_g\) of the handlebody \(H_g \) is homeomorphic to a surface of genus \(g\), \(\Sigma_g\). Let \(D_0\) be a disc on \(\Sigma_g\) and let \(\Sigma_{g,1} \) denote the surface \( \Sigma_g - \mathrm{int} D_0\). The \textit{mapping class group} \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}\) of \(\Sigma_{g,1} \) is the group of isotopy classes of orientation preserving self-diffeomorphisms on \(\Sigma_{g} \) fixing \(D_0\) pointwise. The \textit{handlebody group} \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1}\) is the subgroup of \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}\) consisting of elements of \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}\) which extend to the handlebody \(H_g\). The mapping class group \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}\) acts on the first homology group \(H_1 (\Sigma_{g,1};\mathbb{Z})\) (resp. on \(H_1 (\Sigma_{g,1};\mathbb{Z}_d), d\geq 2\)), the kernel of this action is the \textit{Torelli group} \(\mathcal{I}_{g,1}\) (resp. \textit{level d mapping class group} \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}[d]\)). The intersection of \(\mathcal{I}_{g,1}\) and \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1}\) is the \textit{handlebody subgroup of the Torelli group}, denoted by \(\mathcal{IH}_{g,1}\) (resp. the intersection of \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}[d]\) and \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1}\) is the \textit{handlebody subgroup of the level \(d\) mapping class group}, denoted by \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1} [d]\).) Finding the generators of \(\mathcal{IH}_{g,1}\) might be very useful and has been asked by \textit{J. S. Birman} [Proc. Symp. Pure Math. 74, 133--149 (2006; Zbl 1304.57033)]. This article finds an answer to this problem: Let \(t_a\) denote the right-handed Dehn twist along the simple closed curve \(a\) on \(\Sigma_{g,1} \). Suppose we are given two disjoint simple closed curves \(\{c_1,c_2\}\) on \(\Sigma_{g,1} \). If the disjoint union of \(c_1\) and \(c_2\) bounds a subsurface \(\Sigma_{h,2}\) of \(\Sigma_{g,1}\), then \(\{c_1,c_2\}\) is called a genus-\(h\) bounding pair, genus-\(h\) BP for short. The product \(t_{c_1}.t^{-1}_{c_2}\) is called a genus-\(h\) BP-map. Let \(\{c_1,c_2\}\) be a genus-\(h\) BP on \(\Sigma_{g,1}\); if \(c_1\) and \(c_2\) do not bound a disc in \(H_g \) and the disjoint union of \(c_1\) and \(c_2\) bounds an annulus in \(H_g \), then \(\{c_1,c_2\}\) is called a genus-\(h\) homotopical bounding pair, genus-\(h\) HBP for short. The element \(t_{c_1}.t^{-1}_{c_2}\) is called a genus-\(h\) HBP-map. In this article, a new class of curves is defined as follows: If there are proper discs \(D_1, D_2, \dots, D_g\) in \( H_g - \mathrm{int} D_0\) such that each \(D_i\) is non separating and one can obtain a \(3\)-ball by cutting \(H_g\) along a disjoint union of these discs, then \(\{D_1, D_2, \dots, D_g\}\) is called a \textit{meridian disc system}. Let \(\{c_1,c_2\}\) be a genus-\(h\) HBP on \(\Sigma_{g,1}\), so the disjoint union of \(c_1\) and \(c_2\) bounds an annulus, say \(A\) in \(H_g \), and if there exists a meridian disc system \(\{D_1, D_2, \dots, D_g\}\) such that \(D_2, \dots, D_g\) are disjoint from \(A\) and \(A\) transversally intersects \(D_1\) in a proper arc in \(H_g\) which does not separate \(A\), then \(\{c_1,c_2\}\) is called a genus-\(1\) primitive homotopical bounding pair, genus-\(1\) PHBP for short, and \(t_{c_1}.t^{-1}_{c_2}\) is called a genus-\(1\) PHBP-map. \textit{D. L. Johnson} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 75, 119--125 (1979; Zbl 0407.57003)] proved that \(\mathcal{I}_{g,1}\) is normally generated in \(\mathcal{M}_{g,1}\) by a genus-\(1\) BP-map, hence in particular he showed that \(\mathcal{I}_{g,1}\) is generated by genus-\(1\) BP-maps. The main result of this article given in Theorem \(1.3\) is: \(\mathcal{IH}_{g,1}\) is normally generated in \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1}\) by a genus-\(1\) PHBP-map. It is also proved that all genus-\(1\) PHBP-maps are conjugate in \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1}\) hence, in particular \(\mathcal{IH}_{g,1}\) is generated by genus-\(1\) PHBP-maps. Moreover, as an application of the main result, a normal generating set for \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1} [d]\) in \(\mathcal{H}_{g,1}\) is provided.