Automorphisms of free groups and the mapping class groups of closed compact orientable surfaces. (Q2460523)

The mapping class group of a closed orientable surface \(\Sigma_g\) of genus \(g\) is isomorphic to the outer automorphism group \(\Aut^+(\pi_1(\Sigma_g))/\text{Inn}(\pi_1(\Sigma_g))\) of its fundamental group. Let \(N\) be the stabilizer of the commutator product \(w=[s_1,t_1]\cdots[s_g,t_g]\) in the free group \(F_{2g}\) on \(2g\) generators (so \(\pi_1(\Sigma_g)\) is obtained from \(F_{2g}\) by adding the single relation \(w=1\)). In the present paper, a presentation in terms of explicit generators and relations of the kernel of the natural map (which is known to be an epimorphism) from \(N\) to \(\Aut^+(\pi_1(\Sigma_g))/\text{Inn}(\pi_1(\Sigma_g))\) is obtained (and this turns out to be a standard presentation of the fundamental group of a 3-dimensional Seifert fibered manifold without exceptional fibers). Related results are contained in a paper of \textit{H. Zieschang} [in Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 95, 206-213 (1985; Zbl 0582.57006)] where it is shown that the kernel of the natural epimorphism from \(N\) to \(\Aut^+(\pi_1(\Sigma_g))\) is cyclic, generated by the inner automorphism with \(w\). In addition, a subgroup of the stabilizer \(N\) is found which is isomorphic to the braid group \(B_g\) on \(g\) strings, and which maps under Abelianization of the free group \(F_{2g}\) onto the subgroup of matrices in the Weyl group of the symplectic group \(\text{Sp}(2g,\mathbb{Z})\) having only entries 0 and 1.