Extending finite group actions on surfaces over \(S^3\) (Q392818)

This paper concerns actions of finite groups on a pair \((M,\Sigma_g)\), where \(M\) is an orientable \(3\)-manifold, and \(\Sigma_g\) is a surface of genus \(g\) embedded into \(M\). Of particular interest are the maximum orders of all such groups, or of all such groups in the special cases where the group is abelian or cyclic (respectively), for a given value of the genus \(g\). The case where \(M\) is a handlebody of genus \(g\) and \(\Sigma_g\) is its boundary was dealt with 35 years ago by \textit{B. Zimmermann} [Arch. Math. 33, 379--382 (1980; Zbl 0411.57005)]. Here the authors use Zimmermann's work in considering the case where \(M\) is the \(3\)-sphere. They prove that if the surface \(\Sigma_g\) is unknotted inside \(S^3\), then the maximum group order is bounded below by \(4(g+1)\) and above by \(12(g-1)\) for \(g > 1\), and that the upper bound is achieved for only finitely many genera, namely \(g = 2\), \(3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 11, 17, 25, 97, 121, 241\) and \(601\). They also prove that the maximum order of an abelian group (acting on a pair \((S^3,\Sigma_g)\)) is \(2g+2\) for all \(g > 1\), and that in the cyclic case, the maximum order is \(2g+2\) for even \(g > 1\), and \(2g-2\) for odd \(g > 2\); and moreover, the maxima for abelian and cyclic groups are achieved by unknotted embeddings. The question of the maximum order (for general finite groups) in the knotted case is left open.