On the linearity problem for mapping class groups
type: Item
instance of: scholarly article
title: On the linearity problem for mapping class groups
zbMATH Open document ID: 0977.57014
author: Tara E. Brendle
author: Hessam Hamidi-Tehrani
published in: Algebraic \& Geometric Topology
publication date: 2001-08-29T00:00:00Z
full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/math/0103148
full work available at URL: https://eudml.org/doc/121510
full work available at URL: agt-1-23.abs.html
reviewed by: Darryl McCullough
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 57M99
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 20F34
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 57N05
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 57M07
Mathematics Subject Classification ID: 20F65
zbMATH DE Number: 1638693
zbMATH Keywords: mapping class
zbMATH Keywords: group
zbMATH Keywords: linear
zbMATH Keywords: representation
zbMATH Keywords: poison
zbMATH Keywords: graph of groups
zbMATH Keywords: diffeomorphism
zbMATH Keywords: pure
MaRDI profile type: MaRDI publication profile
OpenAlex ID: W2146073550
arXiv ID: math/0103148
cites work: Covering theory for graphs of groups
cites work: Braid groups are linear
cites work: The mapping class group of a genus two surface is linear
cites work: Abelian and solvable subgroups of the mapping class group
cites work: Q3708977
cites work: On the linearity of automorphism groups of free groups
cites work: Curves von 2-manifolds and isotopies
cites work: The automorphism group of a free group is not linear
cites work: Shortening curves on surfaces
cites work: Q3134497
cites work: A Whitehead algorithm for surface groups
cites work: On the linearity of certain mapping class groups
cites work: The braid group \(B_4\) is linear
cites work: Q4135772
cites work: A "Tits-Alternative" for Subgroups of Surface Mapping Class Groups
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cites work: Q5676405
DOI: 10.2140/AGT.2001.1.445
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review text: A longstanding question is whether mapping class groups of surfaces can be faithfully represented into matrix groups, that is, whether they are linear. Recently \textit{S. Bigelow} [Braid groups are linear, J. Am. Math. Soc. 14, No. 2, 471-486 (2001; Zbl 0988.20021)] proved that braid groups are linear (see also \textit{D. Krammer} [Turkish J. Math. 142, 451-486 (2000; Zbl 0988.20023)]), and \textit{M. Korkmaz} [On the linearity of certain mapping class groups, Turkish J. Math. 24, No. 4, 367-371 (2000; Zbl 0965.57013)] has shown that the mapping class group of the closed surface of genus \(2\) is linear. These results are surprising in that the automorphism groups of free groups \(\text{Aut}(F_n)\), which often exhibit characteristics similar to those of mapping class groups, were shown to be nonlinear for \(n\geq 3\) by \textit{E. Formanek} and \textit{C. Procesi} [J. Algebra 149, No. 2, 494-499 (1992; Zbl 0780.20023)]. The method of Formanek and Procesi is to imbed certain nonlinear groups into the \(\text{Aut}(F_n)\). In the paper under review, the authors prove that no group of the type used by Formanek and Procesi can imbed in any surface mapping class group, and thereby remove a threat to their possible linearity. NEWLINENEWLINENEWLINEAmong the excluded nonlinear subgroups are the HNN extensions \(H(G)=(G\times G)*_{\mathbb Z}\), where the HNN generator acts by \(t(g,g)t^{-1}=(1,g)\). The entire family of excluded groups consists of the \(H(G)/K\) where \(K\) is a normal subgroup such that the image of \(G\times\{1\}\) in \(H(G)/K\) is not nilpotent-by-abelian-by-finite. These are called FP groups by the authors. The main result is that no surface mapping class group (including those of punctured and/or bounded surfaces, relative to the boundary) contain FP groups. The proof uses \textit{N. V. Ivanov}'s concept of pure mapping classes [Subgroups of Teichmüller modular groups, Translated from the Russian by E. J. F. Primrose and revised by the author, Trans. M…
description: scientific article; zbMATH DE number 1638693