Geometric normal subgroups in mapping class groups of punctured surfaces (Q2329078)

The mapping class group \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\) of an oriented surface \(\Sigma\) is the group of isotopy classes of orientation-preserving homeomorphisms of \(\Sigma\). The extended mapping class group \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\) is the group of isotopy classes of all homeomorphisms of \(\Sigma\). \textit{N. V. Ivanov} proved in [Int. Math. Res. Not. 1997, No. 14, 651--666 (1997; Zbl 0890.57018)] that if \(\Sigma\) has genus at least three, or is a punctured surface of genus two, then the group of automorphisms of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\) is isomorphic to \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\), and \textit{M. Korkmaz} [Topology Appl. 95, No. 2, 85--111 (1999; Zbl 0926.57012)] proved equivalent results for punctured spheres and tori. The proofs of these results use the action \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\) on the complex of curves, a simplicial flag complex whose vertices correspond to isotopy classes of nontrivial simple closed curves on \(\Sigma\) and whose edges correspond to disjointness. Ivanov's work inspired many researchers who proved analogous results for specific normal subgroups of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\) and various simplicial complexes associated to \(\Sigma\). A normal subgroup of \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\) is called \textit{geometric} if it has \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\) as its group of automorphisms. In the case of closed surfaces, \textit{T. E. Brendle} and \textit{D. Margalit}, [J. Am. Math. Soc. 32, No. 4, 1009--1070 (2019; Zbl 1476.57020)] gave a general condition for a normal subgroup of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\) or \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\) to be geometric, and they proved their result by reducing it to a problem about automorphisms of simplicial complexes. The present paper extends the work of Brendle and Margalit to punctured surfaces. Roughly, it is proved that a normal subgroup of \(\mathrm{Mod}^{\pm}(\Sigma)\) is geometric if some of its elements are supported in subsurfaces that are topologically ``small enough''. This condition is satisfied by many natural normal subgroups of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma)\), including surface braid groups and all terms of the Johnson filtration.