Large finite group actions on surfaces: Hurwitz groups, maximal reducible and maximal handlebody groups, bounding and non-bounding actions

arXiv2110.11050MaRDI QIDQ6505220FDOQ6505220

Authors: Bruno Zimmermann 

Abstract: A Hurwitz group is a finite group of orientation-preserving diffeomorphisms of maximal possible order $84(g-1)$ of a closed orientable surface of genus $g>1$. A maximal handlebody group instead is a group of orientation-preserving diffeomorphisms of maximal possible order $12(g-1)$ of a 3-dimensional handlebody of genus $g>1$. We consider the question of when a Hurwitz group acting on a surface of genus $g$ contains a subgroup of maximal possible order $12(g-1)$ extending to a handlebody (or, more generally, a maximal reducible group extending to a product with handles), and show that such Hurwitz groups are closely related to the smallest Hurwitz group of order 168 acting on Klein's quartic of genus 3. We discuss simple groups of small order which are maximal handlebody groups and, more generaly, maximal reducible groups. We discuss also the problem of which Hurwitz actions bound geometrically, and in particular whether Klein's quartic bounds geometrically: does there exist a compact hyperbolic 3-manifold with totally geodesic boundary isometric to Klein's quartic?

This page was built for publication: Large finite group actions on surfaces: Hurwitz groups, maximal reducible and maximal handlebody groups, bounding and non-bounding actions

Report a bug (only for logged in users!)Click here to report a bug for this page (MaRDI item Q6505220)