On stable torsion length of a Dehn twist (Q2388320)

If \(G\) is a group and \(f\in G\) can be written as a product of torsion elements, the torsion length \(\tau (f)\) of \(f\) is defined to be the minimum number of factors needed to express \(f\) as a product of torsion elements. The stable torsion length of \(f\) is then defined by \(\| f\| =\lim_{n \to \infty}\frac{\tau (f^n)}{n}\). Now, let \(S\) be a closed oriented surface of genus \(g \geq 3\), and let \(Mod_g\) denote the mapping class group of \(S\). Every element of \(Mod_g\) is a product of torsion elements. The author proves that \(\| t\| >0\), where \(t\in Mod_g\) is the Dehn twist about an essential circle on \(S\). It follows that the there is no constant \(C(g)\) such that every element of \(Mod_g\) can be written as a product of at most \(C(g)\) torsion elements; this answers negatively a question of \textit{T. Brendle} and \textit{B. Farb} [J. Algebra 278, No. 1, 187--198 (2004; Zbl 1051.57019)]. The author also gives upper bounds for \(\| t \| \).