On visualization of the linearity problem for mapping class groups of surfaces (Q2349875)

An important open problem in geometric group theory is to determine whether the mapping class groups of orientable closed surfaces are linear. This article provides necessary and sufficient conditions for this to hold. Let \(\Sigma_g\) be an orientable closed surface of genus \(g\). The mapping class group of \(\Sigma_g\), that is, the group of isotopy classes of homeomorphisims of \(\Sigma_g\), is denoted by \(M_g\). The groups \(M_1\) and \(M_2\) are known to be linear but the linearity of \(M_g , g\geq 3\) is unknown. The author provides a condition for \(M_g,g\geq 3\) to be \(K\)-linear. This condition involves the vector space \(K[S]\) freely generated by the set of isotopy classes of essential simple curves on \(\Sigma_g\). The punctured surface \(\Sigma_{g,*}\) is also considered, where a point \(*\in\Sigma_g\) is distinguished. Requiring the homeomorphisms and isotopies to fix this point gives rise to the group \(M_{g,*}\). The group \(M_{1,*}\) is known to be linear, but the cases \(M_{g,*} , g\geq 2\) remain open problems. The author proves that \(M_{g,*}\) is linear if and only if the fundamental group \(\pi_1(\Sigma_g,*)\) of \(\Sigma_{g,*}\) admits a faithful finite dimensional representation satisfying an additional condition.