Related papers: Subgroups of the Torelli group generated by two sy…
We give a new proof of the theorem of Birman-Powell that the Torelli subgroup of the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface of genus at least 3 is generated by simple homeomorphisms known as bounding pair maps. The key…
Johnson showed that the normal subgroup of a mapping class group generated by the genus $1$ bounding pair maps is equal to the Torelli group. Generalizing Johnson's result, we give two descriptions of the normal subgroup generated by the…
The Magnus representation of the Torelli subgroup of the mapping class group of a surface is a homomorphism r: I_{g,1} -> GL_{2g}(Z[H]). Here H is the first homology group of the surface. This representation is not faithful; in particular,…
We find the automorphism group of the moduli space of parabolic bundles on a smooth curve (with fixed determinant and system of weights). This group is generated by: automorphisms of the marked curve, tensoring with a line bundle, taking…
In this paper, we construct an infinite presentation of the Torelli subgroup of the mapping class group of a surface whose generators consist of the set of all "separating twists", all "bounding pair maps", and all "commutators of simply…
Let a and b be two simple closed curves on an orientable surface S such that their geometric intersection number is greater than 1. It is known that the group generated by corresponding Dehn twists t_a and t_b is isomorphic to the free…
The hyperelliptic Torelli group is the subgroup of the mapping class group consisting of elements that act trivially on the homology of the surface and that also commute with some fixed hyperelliptic involution. We prove a Birman exact…
Let $k$ be a field of characteristic different from $2$ and let $G$ be a nonabelian residually torsion-free nilpotent group. It is known that $G$ is an orderable group. Let $k(G)$ denote the subdivision ring of the Malcev-Neumann series…
In this paper we consider a group generated by two unipotent parabolic elements of ${\rm SU}(2,1)$ with distinct fixed points. We give several conditions that guarantee the group is discrete and free. We also give a result on the diameter…
We describe the structure of the free actions of the Klein bottle group by orientation preserving homeomorphisms of the plane. This group is generated by two elements $a,b$, where the conjugate of $b$ by $a$ equals the inverse of $b$. The…
Starting from context-free inverse graphs, we introduce a new class of groups and study their structural properties. We establish closure properties, show that their co-word problems are context-free, analyze torsion elements, and realize…
We show that on an arbitrary finitely generated non virtually solvable linear group, any two independent random walks will eventually generate a free subgroup. In fact, this will hold for an exponential number of independent random walks.
A beautifully simple free generating set for the commutator subgroup of a free group was constructed by Tomaszewski. We give a new geometric proof of his theorem, and show how to give a similar free generating set for the commutator…
We prove that both the hyperelliptic mapping class group and the extended hyperelliptic mapping class group are generated by two torsion elements. We also compute the index of the subgroup of the hyperelliptic mapping class group which is…
In this article, we consider involutions, called togglings, on the set of independent sets of the Dynkin diagram of type A, or a path graph. We are interested in the action of the subgroup of the symmetric group of the set of independent…
We formulate a relationship between finite-order rondle invariants with respect to triple-point modifications and the lower central series of subgroups of a pure twin group. Using our formulation, we construct infinitely many infinite…
We show that any two elements of the pure braid group either commute or generate a free group, settling a question of Luis Paris. Our proof involves the theory of 3-manifolds and the theory of group actions on trees.
We study subgroups of the mapping class group of the torus generated by powers generated by powers of Dehn twists. We give a criterion to show when a collection of powers Dehn twists generates a free group using the ping pong lemma. We show…
Motivated by work of Poguntke we study the question under what conditions simple subquotients of crossed products $A\rtimes_{\alpha}G$ by (twisted) actions of abelian groups $G$ are isomorphic to simple twisted group algebras of abelian…
We construct a non-free but aleph_1-separable, torsion-free abelian group G with a pure free subgroup B such that all subgroups of G disjoint from B are free and such that G/B is divisible. This answers a question of Irwin and shows that a…