Mapping class groups
Mapping class groups of \(2\)-manifolds have been investigated for nearly 100 years, and now enjoy a vast literature representing diverse mathematical viewpoints. This lengthy survey article treats a considerable portion of the classical and modern theory, with particular attention to the role of the complex of curves. This is the simplicial complex \(C(S)\) whose vertices are the isotopy classes of simple closed loops in the connected \(2\)-manifold \(S\), and whose simplices are spanned by collections of vertices for which there exist pairwise disjoint representatives. Although \(C(S)\) is not locally finite, it is finite-dimensional. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAfter a general introduction to the topology and geometry of surfaces, including the classical Dehn-Nielsen-Baer theorems, the author examines the homotopy type of \(C(S)\). Apart from a few small-genus exceptions, it is homotopy equivalent to a one-point union of spheres of the same dimension, this dimension being determined by a simple formula involving the genus and number of boundary components of \(S\). This was first proven by J. Harer, using Teichmüller theory. The author gives a fairly complete exposition of his own proof using Morse-Cerf theory. A discussion of recent results of H. Masur and Y. Minsky about the \(\delta\)-hyperbolicity of \(C(S)\) is also included. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEA proof is given of the fundamental fact that the mapping class group is generated by Dehn twists, in fact by an explicit finite collection of Dehn twists. The author's proof makes use of \(C(S)\), and is closer to Dehn's original approach than to Lickorish's later rediscovery. Some Teichmüller theory is developed, using the definition of Teichmüller space in terms of metrics of constant curvature, rather than in terms of Riemann surfaces. The author finds this viewpoint ``closer in spirit to that of Fricke than to the approach of Teichmüller himself. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe cohomology of mapping class groups receives considerable attention. Utilizing a quick development of the cohomology of groups due to Bieri and Eckmann, the author explains the landmark results about virtual cohomological dimension and homological stability of mapping class groups, and discusses recent work. A less extensive survey of the Nielsen-Thurston theory of surface diffeomorphisms is provided. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe author's important results on the automorphisms of \(C(S)\) are sketched in considerable detail, and applied to give a complete description of isomorphisms between subgroups of finite index in mapping class groups, and to prove that (apart from the usual small-genus exceptions) these subgroups have finite outer automorphism group. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEThe final chapter examines the considerable literature on comparison of mapping class groups with arithmetic groups. W. Harvey was the first to note that mapping class groups seem closely related to arithmetic groups, and the author was the first to prove that they are not actually arithmetic. He includes here two proofs, one using deep properties of arithmetic groups and relatively easy observations about mapping class groups, and the other using more basic theory of arithmetic groups but deeper properties of mapping class groups. Although mapping class groups are not arithmetic, the analogy is quite strong and has stimulated considerable research. The author sketches recent work showing that mapping class groups are of rank \(1\), in a sense that generalizes the rank of an arithmetic group, and closes with a very up-to-date discussion of current research. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAlthough this very well-written survey necessarily leaves out some topics (for example, there is little about the Torelli group or group actions on surfaces), there is much here for both the novice and the expert.NEWLINENEWLINEFor the entire collection see [Zbl 0977.00029].
- Mapping class groups
- UMAP classes of groups
- Actions of the mapping class group
- Mapping class groups with the Rokhlin property
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5059211
- Mapping method of group classification
- Mapping class groups and function spaces
- The Occurrence Problem for Mapping Class Groups
- A brief introduction to mapping class groups
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 218222
- Cluster algebras and triangulated surfaces. I: Cluster complexes
- Multitriangulations as complexes of star polygons
- Thick metric spaces, relative hyperbolicity, and quasi-isometric rigidity.
- The twist subgroup of the mapping class group of a nonorientable surface
- Natural triangulations associated to a surface
- Cluster algebras and Weil-Petersson forms
- The fibres of the Scott map on polygon tilings are the flip equivalence classes
- Rank-1 phenomena for mapping class groups
- Groups generated by positive multi-twists and the fake lantern problem
- A lantern lemma
- Some homological invariants of the mapping class group of a three-dimensional handlebody
- Mapping class groups and outer automorphism groups of free groups are \(C^{*}\)-simple
- RAAGs in Ham
- Homomorphisms between mapping class groups
- Geometry of the Funk metric on Weil-Petersson spaces
- Non virtually solvable subgroups of mapping class groups have non virtually solvable representations
- The complex of essential surfaces is contractible
- Embeddings and the (virtual) cohomological dimension of the braid and mapping class groups of surfaces
- Mapping class groups with the Rokhlin property
- \(C^1\) actions on the circle of finite index subgroups of \(\mathrm{Mod}(\Sigma_g)\), \(\mathrm{Aut}(F_n)\), and \(\mathrm{Out}(F_n)\)
- An Alexander method for infinite-type surfaces
- Genus \(2\) Lefschetz fibrations with \(b^+_2=1\) and \(c_1^2=1,2\)
- Connectedness of curve complex of surface
- Matrix group integrals, surfaces, and mapping class groups. I. \(\mathrm{U}(\mathrm{n})\)
- Higher dimensional divergence for mapping class groups
- \(\mathrm{W}^\ast\)-superrigidity for arbitrary actions of central quotients of braid groups
- Smith theory, \(L^2\)-cohomology, isometries of locally symmetric manifolds, and moduli spaces of curves
- Commensurations of \(\text{Out}(F_n)\).
- Subgroups of mapping class groups related to Heegaard splittings and bridge decompositions
- A Gauss-Bonnet formula for moduli spaces of Riemann surfaces
- Topological types of actions on curves
- Lectures on the mapping class group of a surface
- Book review of: A. Fathi et al., Thurston's work on surfaces
- Curve complexes versus Tits buildings: structures and applications
- A primer on mapping class groups
- A tale of two groups: arithmetic groups and mapping class groups
- Simplicial actions of mapping class groups
- Constructing Lefschetz fibrations via daisy substitutions
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 5124678 (Why is no real title available?)
- Geometric properties of the mapping class group
- Free subgroups of surface mapping class groups
- Mapping class groups and interpolating complexes: rank
- The dimension of the Torelli group
- Introduction to mapping class groups of surfaces and related groups
- Residual 𝑝 properties of mapping class groups and surface groups
- Homology cylinders and sutured manifolds for homologically fibered knots
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4034666 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4038222 (Why is no real title available?)
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 4084577 (Why is no real title available?)
- Finite generation properties of cohomology rings for infinite groups.
- Homology of the curve complex and the Steinberg module of the mapping class group
- scientific article; zbMATH DE number 2066316 (Why is no real title available?)
- Self-duality of the compactified Ruijsenaars-Schneider system from quasi-Hamiltonian reduction
- Diffeomorphism groups of non-compact manifolds endowed with the Whitney \(C^\infty\)-topology
- Quasi-homomorphisms and stable lengths in mapping class groups
- Ergodic group theory
- Horocycle Dynamics: New Invariants and Eigenform Loci in the Stratum ℋ(1,1)
- Geometric approaches to braid groups and mapping class groups
- Johnson-Morita theory in mapping class groups and monoids of homology cobordisms of surfaces
- Subgroups generated by two pseudo-Anosov elements in a mapping class group. II. Uniform bound on exponents
- The girth of convergence groups and mapping class groups.
- Automorphisms of the Torelli complex and the complex of separating curves
- Isotopy and homeomorphism of closed surface braids
- Bounded cohomology and non-uniform perfection of mapping class groups
- Augmented Teichmüller spaces and orbifolds
- On the combinatorial cuspidalization of hyperbolic curves
- Low‐dimensional linear representations of mapping class groups
- Rigidity of the saddle connection complex
- Motion groupoids and mapping class groupoids
- Hyperbolic graphs of surface groups.
- Maps related to Grigorchuk's group
- Flat structures on surface bundles
- On the groups of birational transformations of surfaces
- Commensurators of surface braid groups.
- The second rational homology group of the moduli space of curves with level structures
- A topological construction of families of Galois covers of the line
- Direct products of free groups in \(\Aut(F_N)\)
- Automorphisms of large-type free-of-infinity Artin groups
- Fixed points of automorphisms of torus knot groups
- On a classification of irreducible periodic diffeomorphisms on surfaces which commute with certain involution
- Topological aspects of symmetries on surfaces
- Collapsing three-dimensional Alexandrov spaces with boundary
- On homology torsion growth
- Birman-Hilden theory for 3-manifolds
- Infinite metacyclic subgroups of the mapping class group
- On fundamental groups of symplectically aspherical manifolds
- Automorphism groups of some pure braid groups.
- The Powell conjecture for the genus-three Heegaard splitting of the 3-sphere
- A matroid property of filling curves
- Mapping class groups of simply connected high-dimensional manifolds need not be arithmetic
- On the dynamics of isometries
- Asymptotic geometry of the mapping class group and Teichmüller space
- Classification of the mapping class groups up to measure equivalence.
- Realization of the mapping class group by homeomorphisms
- \(C^1\) actions on the mapping class groups on the circle
- Dynamics on character varieties and Malgrange irreducibility of Painlevé VI equation
- Measure equivalence rigidity of the mapping class group
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