Action of the mapping class group on character varieties and Higgs bundles (Q784185)

This paper deals, as its title indicates, with the action of the mapping class group on character varieties and Higgs bundles. The authors consider the action of a finite subgroup of the mapping class group \(\mathrm{Mod}(S)\) of an oriented compact surface \(S\) of genus \(g\geq2\) on the moduli space \(R(S,G)\) of representations of \(\pi_1(S)\) in a connected semi simple real Lie group \(G\). Kerckhoff's solution of the Nielsen realization problem ensures the existence of an element \(J\) in the Teichmüller space of \(S\) for which \(\Gamma\) can be realised as a subgroup of the group of automorphisms of \(X=(S, J)\) which are holomorphic or antiholomorphic. They identify the fixed points of the action of \(\Gamma\) on \(R(S,G)\) in terms of \(G\)-Higgs bundles on \(X\) equipped with a certain twisted \(\Gamma\)-equivariant structure, where the twisting involves abelian and non-abelian group cohomology simultaneously. These, in turn, correspond to certain representations of the orbifold fundamental group. When the kernel of the isotropy representation of the maximal compact subgroup of \(G\) is trivial, the fixed points can be described in terms of familiar objects on \(Y=X/\Gamma^+\), where \(\Gamma^+\subset\Gamma\) is the maximal subgroup of \(\Gamma\) consisting of holomorphic automorphisms of \(X\). If \(\Gamma=\Gamma^+\) one obtains actual \(\Gamma\)-equivariant \(G\)-Higgs bundles on \(X\), which in turn correspond with parabolic Higgs bundles on \(Y=X/\Gamma\) (this generalizes work of \textit{B. Nasatyr} and \textit{B. Steer} [Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci., IV. Ser. 22, No. 4, 595--643 (1995; Zbl 0867.58009)] for \(G=\mathrm{SL}(2,\mathbb{R})\) and \textit{H. U. Boden} [Comment. Math. Helv. 66, No. 3, 389--447 (1991; Zbl 0758.57013)], \textit{J. E. Andersen} and \textit{J. Grove} [Q. J. Math. 57, No. 1, 1--35 (2006; Zbl 1113.14026)] and \textit{M. Furuta} and \textit{B. Steer} [Adv. Math. 96, No. 1, 38--102 (1992; Zbl 0769.58009)] for \(G=\mathrm{SU}(n)\). If on the other hand \(\Gamma\) has antiholomorphic automorphisms, the objects on \(Y =X/\Gamma^+\) correspond with pseudo-real parabolic Higgs bundles. This is a generalization in the parabolic setup of the pseudoreal Higgs bundles studied by the first author in collaboration with \textit{I. Biswas} et al. [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 93, No. 1, 47--64 (2016; Zbl 1352.14039)]. This paper is organized as follows. The first section is an introduction to the subject. The second section deals with moduli space of representations and the mapping class group. The third section deals with twisted equivariant structures on principal bundles and associated vector bundles. The forth section concerns twisted equivariant structures on Higgs bundles. The fifth section deals with equivariant structures and parabolic Higgs bundles and the sixteenth section with twisted equivariant structures and representations.