Low-dimensional linear representations of the mapping class group of a nonorientable surface

Abstract: Suppose that

f

is a homomorphism from the mapping class group

m a t h c a l M (N_{g, n})

of a nonorientable surface of genus

g

with

n

boundary components, to

m a t h r m G L (m, m a t h b b C)

. We prove that if

g g e 5

,

n l e 1

and

m l e g - 2

, then

f

factors through the abelianization of

m a t h c a l M (N_{g, n})

, which is

m a t h b b Z_{2} i m e s m a t h b b Z_{2}

for

g i n 5, 6

and

m a t h b b Z_{2}

for

g g e 7

. If

g g e 7

,

n = 0

and

m = g - 1

, then either

f

has finite image (of order at most two if

g e 8

), or it is conjugate to one of four "homological representations". As an application we prove that for

g g e 5

and

h < g

, every homomorphism

m a t h c a l M (N_{g, 0}) o m a t h c a l M (N_{h, 0})

factors through the abelianization of

m a t h c a l M (N_{g, 0})

.

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