Normal generators for mapping class groups are abundant

DOI10.4171/CMH/526arXiv1805.03666MaRDI QIDQ6301388FDOQ6301388

Authors: Justin Lanier, Dan Margalit 

Publication date: 9 May 2018

Abstract: We provide a simple criterion for an element of the mapping class group of a closed surface to have normal closure equal to the whole mapping class group. We apply this to show that every nontrivial periodic mapping class that is not a hyperelliptic involution is a normal generator for the mapping class group when the genus is at least 3. We also give many examples of pseudo-Anosov normal generators, answering a question of D. D. Long. In fact we show that every pseudo-Anosov mapping class with stretch factor less than $sqrt2$ is a normal generator. Even more, we give pseudo-Anosov normal generators with arbitrarily large stretch factors and arbitrarily large translation lengths on the curve graph, disproving a conjecture of Ivanov.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Braid groups; Artin groups (20F36) Topological methods in group theory (57M07)

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