Related papers: Six-point configurations in the hyperbolic plane a…
Let $\Sigma$ be a compact orientable surface of genus $g=1$ with $n=1$ boundary component. The mapping class group $\Gamma$ of $\Sigma$ acts on the SU(3)-character variety of $\Sigma$. We show that the action is ergodic with respect to the…
Let S be a compact orientable surface with genus g and n boundary components d_1,...,d_n. Let b = (b_1, ..., b_n) where b_n lies in [-2,2]. Then the mapping class group of S acts on the relative SU(2)-character variety X comprising…
We study topological properties of automorphisms of a 6-dimensional torus generated by integer matrices symplectic with respect to either the standard symplectic structure in six-dimensional linear space or a nonstandard symplectic…
Let $g, n \geq 0$ and $\Sigma = \Sigma_{g, n}$ be a connected oriented surface of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures. The $\mathrm{SL}_2$-character variety of $\Sigma$ has a rigid relative automorphism group, whose elements fix each monodromies…
Let $\Sigma$ be a complete finite-area orientable hyperbolic surface with one cusp, and let $\mathcal{R}$ be the space of complete geodesic rays in $\Sigma$ emanating from the puncture. Then there is a natural action of the mapping class…
We study topological properties of automorphisms of 4-dimensional torus generated by integer symplectic matrices. The main classifying element is the structure of the topology of a foliation generated by unstable leaves of the automorphism.…
For an infinite type surface $\Sigma$, we consider the space of (marked) convex hyperbolic structures on $\Sigma$, denoted $H(\Sigma)$, with the Fenchel-Nielsen topology. The (big) mapping class group acts faithfully on this space allowing…
The mapping class group of a compact oriented surface of genus greater than one with boundary acts ergodically on connected components of the representation variety corresponding to a connected compact Lie group, for every choice of…
The symplectomorphism group of a 2-dimensional surface is homotopy equivalent to the orbit of a filling system of curves. We give a generalization of this statement to dimension 4. The filling system of curves is replaced by a decomposition…
It is explored a model of compact Riemann surfaces in genus two, represented geometrically by two-parametric hyperbolic octagons with an order four automorphism. We compute the generators of associated isometry group and give a…
A complex of incompressible surfaces in a handlebody is constructed so that it contains, as a subcomplex, the complex of curves of the boundary of the handlebody. For genus 2 handlebodies, the group of automorphisms of this complex is used…
This paper addresses several isotopy problems on $4$-manifolds. First, we classify the isotopy classes of embeddings of $\Sigma$ in $\Sigma\times S^2$ that are geometrically dual to $\{\mbox{pt}\}\times S^2$, where $\Sigma$ is a closed…
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…
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,…
This expository article describes applications of topological configuration spaces to the control of robotic systems. In particular, we review recent work by the authors on configuration spaces of graphs. These are lovely spaces: we show…
Let \Sigma be a compact orientable surface with genus g and n boundary components B = (B_1,..., B_n). Let c = (c_1,...,c_n) in [-2,2]^n. Then the mapping class group MCG of \Sigma acts on the relative SU(2)-character variety X_c :=…
We exhibit a finitely generated group $\M$ whose rational homology is isomorphic to the rational stable homology of the mapping class group. It is defined as a mapping class group associated to a surface $\su$ of infinite genus, and…
We define a class of symplectic fibrations called symplectic configurations. They are natural generalization of Hamiltonian fibrations. Their geometric and topological properties are investigated. We are mainly concentrated on integral…
The deformation problem for pseudoholomorphic curves and related geometrical properties of the total moduli space of pseudoholomorphic curves are studied. A sufficient condition for the saddle point property of the total moduli space is…
We study two actions of big mapping class groups. The first is an action by isometries on a Gromov-hyperbolic graph. The second is an action by homeomorphisms on a circle in which the vertices of the graph naturally embed. The first two…