A note on the connectivity of certain complexes associated to surfaces

MaRDI QIDQ1002483zbMATH OpenFDO

Authors Andrew Putman

Publication date 26 February 2009

Published in L'Enseignement Mathématique. 2e Série (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0612762

zbMATH Keywords

complex of curvesmapping class groupsurfaces

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Group actions on manifolds and cell complexes in low dimensions (57M60)

Abstract: This note is devoted to a trick which yields almost trivial proofs that certain complexes associated to topological surfaces are connected or simply connected. Applications include new proofs that the complexes of curves, separating curves, nonseparating curves, pants, and cut systems are all connected for genus $ggg0$. We also prove that two new complexes are connected : one involves curves which split a genus $2g$ surface into two genus $g$ pieces, and the other involves curves which are homologous to a fixed curve. The connectivity of the latter complex can be interpreted as saying the ``homology relation on the surface is (for $ggeq3$) generated by ``embedded/disjoint homologies. We finally prove that the complex of separating curves is simply connected for $ggeq4$.

Review text

Let \(\Sigma_g\) be a genus \(g\) surface and Mod(\(\Sigma_g\)) be the mapping class group of \(\Sigma_g\). The complex of curves C(\(\Sigma_g\)) is the simplicial complex whose simplices are sets of non-trivial isotopy classes of simple closed curves on \(\Sigma_g\) which can be realized disjointly. The complex of separating curves C\(_{sep}(\Sigma_g\)) and the complex of non-separating curves C\(_{nosep}(\Sigma_g\)) are the full subcomplexes of C(\(\Sigma_g\)) spanned by separating and nonseparating curves, respectively. The author exploits the basic combinatorial group-theoretic properties of Mod(\(\Sigma_g\)) and its subgroups, deducing that complexes are connected from the structure of generating sets and deducing that they are simply connected from relations. A simple and unified proof of the following well known theorem is given: Theorem 1.2 C(\(\Sigma_g\)) and C\(_{nosep}(\Sigma_g\)) are connected for \(g\geq 2\), while C\(_{sep}(\Sigma_g\)) is connected for \(g\geq 3\). New is for instance the following: Theorem 1.11 C\(_{sep}(\Sigma_g\)) is simply connected for \(g\geq 4\). Analogous results are achieved for complexes of pants and cut systems. The author also proves that two new types of complexes are connected: one involves curves which split a genus \(2g\) surface into two genus \(g\) pieces, and the other involves curves which are homologous to a fixed curve. The connectivity of the latter complex can be interpreted as saying the ``homology relation on the surface is (for \(g\geq 3\)) generated by ``embedded/disjoint homologies.

Recommendations

• Connectivity of complexes of separating curves
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Cited in

(41)

• Coarse and synthetic Weil-Petersson geometry: Quasi-flats, geodesics and relative hyperbolicity
• Monodromy and vanishing cycles in toric surfaces
• Hyperbolicity of the genus two Hatcher-Thurston complex.
• The complex of partial bases for \(F_n\) and finite generation of the Torelli subgroup of \(\Aut(F_n)\).
• The universal surface bundle over the Torelli space has no sections
• Generating the spin mapping class group by Dehn twists
• Normal generators for mapping class groups are abundant
• On finite generation of the Johnson filtrations
• Matching arc complexes: connectedness and hyperbolicity
• Connectedness of curve complex of surface
• Upper bound on distance in the pants complex
• Automorphisms of the Torelli complex for the one-holed genus two surface
• A collection of nonfilling multicurve complexes
• The complex of pant decompositions of a surface
• The co-Hopfian property of the Johnson kernel and the Torelli group.
• On the complex of separating meridians in handlebodies
• Connectivity of certain simplicial complexes associated to a handlebody
• Contractibility of the Kakimizu complex and symmetric Seifert surfaces
• Curve complexes versus Tits buildings: structures and applications
• Connectivity of complexes of separating curves
• Small generating sets for the Torelli group
• Coloring curves on surfaces
• Graphs of curves on infinite-type surfaces with mapping class group actions
• scientific article; zbMATH DE number 860171 (Why is no real title available?)
• Connectedness of the cut system complex on nonorientable surfaces
• Coadjoint orbits of symplectic diffeomorphisms of surfaces and ideal hydrodynamics
• Normal subgroups of mapping class groups and the metaconjecture of Ivanov
• Factoring in the hyperelliptic Torelli group
• Hyperbolicity of the genus two separating curve complex
• Automorphisms of the Torelli complex and the complex of separating curves
• Pentagon representations and complex projective structures on closed surfaces
• Thickness and relative hyperbolicity for graphs of multicurves
• Optimal connectivity results for spheres in the curve graph of low and medium complexity surfaces
• Local rigidity of the Teichmüller space with the Thurston metric
• Commensurators of surface braid groups.
• Monodromy of stratified braid groups. II
• The Ceresa class: tropical, topological and algebraic
• On the annulus complex of a handlebody
• The separating disk complex for a handlebody
• Automorphisms of smooth fine curve graphs
• A Solomon-Tits theorem for rings

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