English

Orderability of big mapping class groups

Geometric Topology 2024-08-13 v2 Group Theory

Abstract

We give an alternate proof of the left-orderability of the mapping class group of a connected oriented infinite-type surface with a non-empty boundary. Our main strategy involves the inductive construction of a countable stable Alexander system for the surface using a carefully chosen exhaustion by finite-type subsurfaces. In fact, we prove that a generalised ideal arc system for the surface also induces a left-ordering on the big mapping class group. We then prove that two generalised ideal arc systems determine the same left-ordering if and only if they are loosely isotopic. Finally, we prove that the topology on the big mapping class group is the same as the order topology induced by a left-ordering corresponding to an inductively constructed ideal arc system.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2407.14343,
  title  = {Orderability of big mapping class groups},
  author = {Pravin Kumar and Apeksha Sanghi and Mahender Singh},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.14343},
  year   = {2024}
}

Comments

22 pages, 19 figures

R2 v1 2026-06-28T17:47:23.907Z