Louis Funar

We provide new constraints for algebro-geometric subgroups of mapping class groups, namely images of fundamental groups of curves under complex algebraic maps to the moduli space of smooth curves. Specifically, we prove that the restriction…

We show that every automorphism of the congruence completion of the extended mapping class group that preserves the set of conjugacy classes of procyclic groups generated by Dehn twists is inner, and that its automorphism group is naturally…

We study the quotient of the mapping class group $\operatorname{Mod}_g^n$ of a surface of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures, by the subgroup $\operatorname{Mod}_g^n[p]$ generated by the $p$-th powers of Dehn twists. Our first main result is that…

We prove the arborescence of any locally finite complex that is $CAT(0)$ with a polyhedral metric for which all vertex stars are convex. In particular locally finite $CAT(0)$ cube complexes or equilateral simplicial complexes are…

Singular fibrations generalize achiral Lefschetz fibrations of 4-manifolds over surfaces while sharing some of their properties. For instance, relatively minimal singular fibrations are determined by their monodromy. We explain how to…

In this paper we study the automorphism group of the procongruence mapping class group through its action on the associated procongruence curve and pants complexes. Our main result is a rigidity theorem for the procongruence completion of…

The aim of this paper is to survey some aspects of mapping class groups with focus on their finite dimensional representations arising in topological quantum field theory.

We show that branched coverings of surfaces of large enough genus arise as characteristic maps of braided surfaces that is, lift to embeddings in the product of the surface with $\mathbb R^2$. This result is nontrivial already for…

We give alternative computations of the Schur multiplier of $Sp(2g,\mathbb Z/D\mathbb Z)$, when $D$ is divisible by 4 and $g\geq 4$: a first one using $K$-theory arguments based on the work of Barge and Lannes and a second one based on the…

We prove that an open manifold $M$ of dimension at least $5$ which admits a complete CAT(0) polyhedral metric is pseudo-collarable, its fundamental group at infinity is strongly perfectly semistable and has vanishing Chapman-Siebenmann…

We construct certain orbifold compactifications of the moduli stack of pointed stable curves over $\mathbb C$ and study their fundamental groups by means of their quantum representations. This enables to construct interesting K\"ahler…

The aim of this paper is to survey some known results about mapping class group quotients by powers of Dehn twists, related to their finite dimensional representations and to state some open questions. One can construct finite quotients of…

Assume that there exists a smooth map between two closed manifolds $M^m\to N^k$ with only finitely many cone-like singular points, where $2\leq k\leq m\leq 2k-1$. If $(m,k)\not\in\{(2,2), (4,3), (5,3), (8,5), (16,9)\}$, then $M^m$ admits a…

We introduce subgroups ${\mathcal{B}}_g< {\mathcal H}_g$ of the mapping class group $Mod(\Sigma_g)$ of a closed surface of genus $g \ge 0$ with a Cantor set removed, which are extensions of Thompson's group $V$ by a direct limit of mapping…

We show that the Schur multiplier of $Sp(2g,\mathbb Z/D\mathbb Z)$ is $\mathbb Z/2\mathbb Z$, when $D$ is divisible by 4.

We prove that closed manifolds admitting a generic metric whose sectional curvature is locally quasi-constant are graphs of space forms. In the more general setting of QC spaces where sets of isotropic points are arbitrary, under suitable…

Using quantum representations of mapping class groups we prove that profinite completions of Burnside-type surface group quotients are not virtually prosolvable, in general. Further, we construct infinitely many finite simple characteristic…

We construct, for $m\geq 6$ and $2n\leq m$, closed manifolds $M^{m}$ with finite nonzero $\varphi(M^{m},S^{n}$), where $\varphi(M,N)$ denotes the minimum number of critical points of a smooth map $M\to N$. We also give some explicit…

The group of $\mathcal C^1$-diffeomorphisms of any sparse Cantor subset of a manifold is countable and discrete (possibly trivial). Thompson's groups come out of this construction when we consider central ternary Cantor subsets of an…

The braided Thompson group $\mathcal B$ is an asymptotic mapping class group of a sphere punctured along the standard Cantor set, endowed with a rigid structure. Inspired from the case of finite type surfaces we consider a Hatcher-Thurston…