The center of some braid groups and the Farrell cohomology of certain pure mapping class groups. (Q2466705)

The authors prove that the braid groups of \(S_1^0\), \(S_0^0\), and \(S_0^1\) (where \(S_g^n\) is the orientable surface of genus \(g\) with \(n\) punctures) are the direct product of their centers with other braid groups or mapping class groups. Then they compute centralizers and normalizers of elements of prime order in pure mapping class groups, provided that the quotient surfaces are punctured 2-spheres. Finally the \(p\)-primary part of the Farrell cohomology of pure mapping class groups is studied and explicitly described in some cases.