Infinite topology of curve complexes and non-Poincaré duality of Teichmüller modular groups (Q1002487)

In this paper, \(Mod_g\) denotes the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface \(S\) of genus \(g\geq 2\), and \(\mathcal{C}\) denotes the curve complex of \(S\). The following is a result by \textit{J. Harer} [Invent. Math. 84, 157--176 (1986; Zbl 0592.57009)]: Theorem: The curve complex \(\mathcal{C}(S)\) is homotopy equivalent to a bouquet of spheres \(\bigvee S^n\), where \(n=2g-2\). In the paper under review, motivated by this result, and as a complement to Harer's work, the authors give a proof of the following: Theorem: The curve complex \(\mathcal{C}(S)\) is not contractible, and hence the bouquet \(\bigvee S^n\) in Harer's Theorem contains at least one sphere. Theorem: The curve complex \(\mathcal{C}(S)\) is homotopy equivalent to a countably infinite bouquet of spheres \(\bigvee S^n\), where \(n=2g-2\). An algebraic counterpart of these results is also stated as follows: Theorem: For every non torsion-free subgroup \(\Gamma\) of \(Mod_g\) of finite index, \(\Gamma\) is not a Poincaré duality group. Equivalently, \(Mod_g\) is not a virtual Poincaré duality group. In particular, no subgroup \(\Gamma\) of finite index of \(Mod_g\) can be realized as the fundamental group of a closed aspherical manifold.