Related papers: Mapping Class Factorization via Fatgraph Nielsen R…

Nielsen reduction is an algorithm which decomposes any automorphism of a free group into a product of elementary Nielsen transformations. While this may be applied to a mapping class of a surface $S_{g,1}$ with one boundary component, the…

We describe the action of the mapping class group $M(g,n)$ on the fundamental group of $T_{g,n}$, a compact orientable topological surface of positive genus $g$ with $n$ marked points. This is achieved by computing the image of the…

The mapping class group $\mathrm{Mod}_{g, 1}$ of a surface with one marked point can be identified with an index two subgroup of $\mathrm{Aut}(\pi_1 \Sigma_g)$. For a surface of genus $g \geq 2$, we show that any action of $\mathrm{Mod}_{g,…

Let $ \text{Mod}(S_g)$ denote the mapping class group of the closed orientable surface $S_g$ of genus $g\geq 2$, and let $f\in \text{Mod}(S_g)$ be of finite order. We give an inductive procedure to construct an explicit hyperbolic structure…

The mapping class group ${\Gamma}_g^ 1$ of a closed orientable surface of genus $g \geq 1$ with one marked point can be identified, by the Nielsen action, with a subgroup of the group of orientation preserving homeomorphims of the circle.…

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…

In analogy with the free factors of a free group we define special factors of Generalized Baumslag-Solitar (GBS) groups as non-cyclic subgroups which appear in splittings over infinite cyclic groups. We give an algorithm which, given a GBS…

Let $F_n(\Sigma_{g,1})$ denote the configuration space of $n$ ordered points on the surface $\Sigma_{g,1}$ and let $\Gamma_{g,1}$ denote the mapping class group of $\Sigma_{g,1}$. We prove that the action of $\Gamma_{g,1}$ on…

Fatgraphs are multigraphs enriched with a cyclic order of the edges incident to a vertex. This paper presents algorithms to: (1) generate the set of all fatgraphs having a given genus and number of boundary cycles; (2) compute automorphisms…

Let $g\geq3$ and $n\geq0$, and let ${\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$ be the mapping class group of a surface of genus $g$ with $n$ boundary components. We prove that ${\mathcal{M}}_{g,n}$ contains a unique subgroup of index $2^{g-1}(2^{g}-1)$ up to…

Given a finite subgroup G of the mapping class group of a surface S, the Nielsen realization problem asks whether G can be realized as a finite group of homeomorphisms of S. In 1983, Kerckhoff showed that for S a finite-type surface, any…

In this paper we discuss several heuristic strategies which allow one to solve the Whitehead's minimization problem much faster (on most inputs) than the classical Whitehead algorithm. The mere fact that these strategies work in practice…

We study the finite dimensional complex representations of the mapping class group $\mathcal{M}_{g,1}$ that are derived from some finite Galois coverings of the compact oriented surface with one boundary component $\Sigma_{g,1}$. The key…

Let $\Gamma_{g,b}$ denote the orientation-preserving Mapping Class Group of a closed orientable surface of genus $g$ with $b$ punctures. For a group $G$ let $\Phi_f(G)$ denote the intersection of all maximal subgroups of finite index in…

In this article, we propose two algorithms for determining the Nielsen-Thurston classification of a mapping class $\psi$ on a surface $S$. We start with a finite generating set $X$ for the mapping class group and a word $\psi$ in $\langle X…

Let $F$ be any finite-rank free group, and $R$ be any finite subset of $\{g, [g]: g \in F-\{1\}\}$, where $[g]:= \{fgf^{-1}:f\in F\}$. By an $R$-allocating $F$-factorization we mean a set $\mathcal{H}$ of nontrivial subgroups of $F$ such…

Suppose that $f$ is a homomorphism from the mapping class group $\mathcal{M}(N_{g,n})$ of a nonorientable surface of genus $g$ with $n$ boundary components, to $\mathrm{GL}(m,\mathbb{C})$. We prove that if $g\ge 5$, $n\le 1$ and $m\le g-2$,…

We describe the mapping class group action on the cohomology of the twisted $\mathrm{SL}_n$-character variety of a surface $\Sigma_g$ of genus $g$. Our main tool is a relative version of the endoscopic decomposition of Maulik-Shen; this…

It has been known since the time of Nielsen that the mapping class group $\text{Mod}_{g,1}$ of a surface of genus $g$ and one puncture acts faithfully by homeomorphisms on the circle. In this note, we show that this standard representation…

We give an algorithm which computes a presentation for a subgroup, denoted $\AM_{g,1,p}$, of the automorphism group of a free group. It is known that $\AM_{g,1,p}$ is isomorphic to the mapping-class group of an orientable genus-$g$ surface…