Related papers: Irreducible Sp-representations and subgroup distor…

We prove that each Torelli group of an orientable surface with any number of boundary components is at least exponentially distorted in the mapping class group by using Broaddus-Farb-Putman's techniques. Further we show that the distortion…

We define new bordism and spin bordism invariants of certain subgroups of the mapping class group of a surface. In particular, they are invariants of the Johnson filtration of the mapping class group. The second and third terms of this…

We show that the mapping class group of a handlebody of genus at least 2 (with any number of marked points or spots) is exponentially distorted in the mapping class group of its boundary surface. The same holds true for solid tori with at…

In previous work we constructed twisted representations of mapping class groups of surfaces, depending on a choice of representation $V$ of the Heisenberg group $\mathcal{H}$. For certain $V$ we were able to untwist these mapping class…

Deformation spaces Hom($\pi$,G)/G of representations of the fundamental group $\pi$ of a surface $\Sigma$ in a Lie group $G$ admit natural actions of the mapping class group $Mod_\Sigma$, preserving a Poisson structure. When $G$ is compact,…

Let $\Sigma_{g,n}$ be an orientable surface of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures. We study actions of the mapping class group of $\Sigma_{g,n}$ via Hodge-theoretic and arithmetic techniques. We show that if $$\rho: \pi_1(\Sigma_{g,n})\to…

In this paper, we study a series of $L^2$-torsion invariants from the viewpoint of the mapping class group of a surface. We establish some vanishing theorems for them. Moreover we explicitly calculate the first two invariants and compare…

The point-pushing subgroup P(S) of the mapping class group Mod(S) of a surface with marked point is an embedding of \pi_1(S) given by pushing the marked point around loops. We prove that for g>=3, the subgroup P(S) is the unique normal,…

For any surface $\Sigma$ of infinite topological type, we study the Torelli subgroup ${\mathcal I}(\Sigma)$ of the mapping class group ${\rm MCG}(\Sigma)$, whose elements are those mapping classes that act trivially on the homology of…

Recently, Korkmaz established the lower bound of $3g - 2$ for the dimension of a faithful representation of the mapping class group of an orientable surface of genus $g \ge 3$. We raise this bound to $4g - 3$ in the setting of surfaces of…

Let $\Gamma$ be either the mapping class group of a closed surface of genus $\geq 2$, or the automorphism group of a free group of rank $\geq 3$. Given any homological representation $\rho$ of $\Gamma$ corresponding to a finite cover, and…

We provide some language for algebraic study of the mapping class groups for surfaces with non-connected boundary. As applications, we generalize our previous results on Dehn twists to any compact connected oriented surfaces with non-empty…

We investigate representations of mapping class groups of surfaces that arise from the untwisted Drinfeld double of a finite group G, focusing on surfaces without marked points or with one marked point. We obtain concrete descriptions of…

We compute the invariant subspace of the rational group ring of a surface, truncated by powers of the augmentation ideal, under the action of the mapping class group. The surface is compact, oriented with one boundary component. This…

Let $\Sigma$ be a compact orientable surface of finite type with at least one boundary component. Let $\Gamma \leq \textup{Mod}(\Sigma)$ be a non virtually solvable subgroup. We answer a question of Lubotzky by showing that there exists a…

We discuss a number of open problems about mapping class groups of surfaces. In particular, we discuss problems related to linearity, congruence subgroups, cohomology, pseudo-Anosov stretch factors, Torelli subgroups, and normal subgroups.

We prove a homological stability theorem for the subgroup of the mapping class group acting as the identity on some fixed portion of the first homology group of the surface. We also prove a similar theorem for the subgroup of the mapping…

The mapping class group of an orientable surface, which records its symmetries up to isotopy, plays a central role in low-dimensional topology. This chapter explores the foundational problem of determining minimal generating sets for these…

In the vein of Bonfert-Taylor, Bridgeman, Canary, and Taylor we introduce the notion of quasiconformal homogeneity for closed oriented hyperbolic surfaces restricted to subgroups of the mapping class group. We find uniform lower bounds for…

To every $Q$-irreducible representation $r$ of a finite group $H$, there corresponds a simple factor $A$ of $Q[H]$ with an involution $\tau$. To this pair $(A,\tau)$, we associate an arithmetic group $\Omega$ consisting of all $(2g-2)\times…