Related papers: Train track complex of once-punctured torus and 4-…

For a boundary-reducible $3$-manifold $M$ with $\partial M$ a genus $g$ surface, we show that if $M$ admits a genus $g+1$ Heegaard surface $S$, then the disk complex of $S$ is simply connected. Also we consider the connectedness of the…

A cohomology class u of a topological space X is atoroidal if its pullback to the torus vanishes for every map from a torus to X. Furthermore, X is atoroidally symplectic if there is an atoroidal cohomology class $u\in H^2(X;F)$ such that…

Classically, an indecomposable class $R$ in the cone of effective curves on a K3 surface $X$ is representable by a smooth rational curve if and only if $R^2=-2$. We prove a higher-dimensional generalization conjectured by Hassett and…

A {\em $1-$vertex triangulation} of an oriented compact surface $S$ of genus $g$ is an embedded graph $T\subset S$ with a unique vertex such that all connected components of $S\setminus T$ are triangles (adjacent to exactly 3 edges of $T$).…

This note is devoted to a trick which yields almost trivial proofs that certain complexes associated to topological surfaces are connected or simply connected. Applications include new proofs that the complexes of curves, separating curves,…

Let $N$ be a compact, connected, nonorientable surface of genus $g$ with $n$ boundary components. Let $\mathcal{C}(N)$ be the curve complex of $N$. We prove that if $(g, n) \neq (1,2)$ and $g + n \neq 4$, then there is an exhaustion of…

Let a torus act on a compact oriented manifold $M$ with isolated fixed points, with an additional mild assumption that its isotropy submanifolds are orientable. We associate a signed labeled multigraph encoding the fixed point data (weights…

Let $G$ be a group and let ${\mathcal G}$ be a free factor system of $G$, namely a free splitting of $G$ as $G=G_1*\dots*G_k*F_r$. In this paper, we study the set of train track points for ${\mathcal G}$-irreducible automorphisms $\phi$…

Kakimizu complex of a knot is a flag simplicial complex whose vertices correspond to minimal genus Seifert surfaces and edges to disjoint pairs of such surfaces. We discuss a general setting in which one can define a similar complex. We…

In this paper we develop the theory of train track maps on graphs of groups. Expanding a definition of Bass, we define a notion of a map of a graph of groups, and of a homotopy equivalence. We prove that under one of two technical…

By the work of Harer, the reduced homology of the complex of curves is a fundamental cohomological object associated to all torsion free finite index subgroups of the mapping class group. We call this homology group the Steinberg module of…

Let the circle act in a Hamiltonian fashion on a compact symplectic manifold $(M, \omega)$ of dimension $2n$. Then the $S^1$-action has at least $n+1$ fixed points. We study the case when the fixed point set consists of precisely $n+1$…

Let G be a complex reductive algebraic group. We study complete intersections in a spherical homogeneous space G/H defined by a generic collection of sections from G-invariant linear systems. Whenever nonempty, all such complete…

Let $N$ be a compact, connected, nonorientable surface of genus $g$ with $n$ boundary components. Let $\mathcal{C}(N)$ be the curve complex of $N$. We prove that if $(g,n) = (3,0)$ or $g + n \geq 5$, then there is an exhaustion of…

Let $\Gamma$ be a finite index subgroup of the mapping class group $MCG(\Sigma)$ of a closed orientable surface $\Sigma$, possibly with punctures. We give a precise condition (in terms of the Nielsen-Thurston decomposition) when an element…

There is a forgetful map from the mapping class group of a punctured surface to that of the surface with one fewer puncture. We prove that finitely generated purely pseudo-Anosov subgroups of the kernel of this map are convex cocompact in…

Let $\Sigma$ be a hyperbolic surface. We study the set of curves on $\Sigma$ of a given type, i.e. in the mapping class group orbit of some fixed but otherwise arbitrary $\gamma_0$. For example, in the particular case that $\Sigma$ is a…

We give a new proof of the string topology structure of a compact oriented surface of genus g greater than or equal to 2, using elementary algebraic topology. This reproves the result of Vaintrob.

We consider the homotopical dynamics on compact orientable surfaces of positive genus g. We establish a sufficient and necessary algebraic criterion for homotopy classes with infinitely many periodic points of maps on such surfaces in terms…

Let S be an orientable surface of finite type. Using Pho-On's infinite unicorn paths, we prove the hyperfiniteness of orbit equivalence relations induced by the actions of the mapping class group of S on the Gromov boundaries of the arc…