From pure braid groups to hyperbolic groups (Q7007700)

This paper proves rigidity results for homomorphisms from pure braid groups on surfaces into torsion-free hyperbolic groups. The author generalizes his earlier work [Isr. J. Math. 232, No. 1, 483--500 (2019; Zbl 1458.20033)] on homomorphisms from pure braid groups to free and surface groups, showing that for a closed orientable surface \(S_g\) of genus \(g > 1\), and for any finite index normal subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(PB_n(S_g)\) with abelian quotient, every homomorphism \(\varphi: \Gamma \to \mathcal{H}\) into a torsion-free non-elementary hyperbolic group \(\mathcal{H}\) either factors through a coordinate projection or has cyclic image (Theorem 1.1).\N\NThe approach is extended to the full group \(PB_n(S_g^p)\) when the surface has punctures (Theorem 1.3), and to the classical pure braid group \(PB_n\) on the disk (Theorem 1.4), where a full classification of such homomorphisms is given: the image is either cyclic or factors (up to conjugation) through one of two canonical forgetful maps \(PB_n \to PB_3\) or \(PB_n \to PB_4\) followed by a known exceptional homomorphism onto \(F_2\).\N\NThe paper also computes the first Betti number of finite index subgroups of \(PB_n(S_g)\) (Theorem 1.2), showing it decomposes via the coordinate projections.