Twisted conjugacy classes in symplectic groups, mapping class groups and braid groups. (With an appendix written jointly with Francois Dahmani) (Q976839)

Let \(G\) be a group and \(\varphi\colon G\to G\) be an automorphism. Let \(\sim\) be the equivalence relation \(x\sim gx\varphi(g^{-1})\), an equivalence class for this relation is called a Reidemeister class, a \(\varphi\)-conjugacy class or a twisted conjugacy class of \(\varphi\) and the number \(R(\varphi)\), of Reidemeister classes, is called the Reidemeister number of \(\varphi\). A fundamental question is which groups satisfy that \(R(\varphi)=\infty\) for every automorphism \(\varphi\) of \(G\), a group is said to have property \(R_\infty\) if it satisfies this last property. The authors give a basic criterion of deciding if a group satisfies \(R_\infty\). With this procedure, the authors prove that the following groups satisfy the \(R_\infty\) property:{\parindent=5mm\begin{itemize}\item[1)] The symplectic group \(\text{Sp}(2n,\mathbb{Z})\);\item[2)] The mapping class group of an orientable closed surface other that the sphere;\item[3)] The braid group, \(B_n(S^2)\) for \(n>3\);\item[4)] The braid group \(B_n(D)\), of the disk for \(n>2\). \end{itemize}}