Related papers: The universal $n$-pointed surface bundle only has …

For $g>3$, we give two proofs of the fact that the \emph{Birman exact sequence} for the Torelli group \[ 1\to \pi_1(S_g)\to {\cal I}_{g,1}\to {\cal I}_g\to 1 \] does not split. This result was claimed by G. Mess in \cite{mess1990unit}, but…

In this paper we give a close-to-sharp answer to the basic questions: When is there a continuous way to add a point to a configuration of $n$ ordered points on a surface $S$ of finite type so that all the points are still distinct? When…

We prove that group homology of the diffeomorphism group of $\#^g S^n \times S^n$ as a discrete group is independent of $g$ in a range, provided that $n>2$. This answers the high dimensional version of a question posed by Morita about…

Let $PB_n(S_{g,p})$ be the pure braid group of a genus $g>1$ surface with $p$ punctures. In this paper we prove that any surjective homomorphism $PB_n(S_{g,p})\to PB_m(S_{g,p})$ factors through one of the forgetful homomorphisms. We then…

We consider minimal compact complex surfaces S with Betti numbers b_1=1 and n=b_2>0. A theorem of Donaldson gives n exceptional line bundles. We prove that if in a deformation, these line bundles have sections, S is a degeneration of…

We show that the existence of an embedded compact, boundaryless hypersurface S of strictly positive mean curvature in a noncompact, connected, complete Riemannian n-manifold N of nonnegative Ricci curvature implies that the homomorphism…

A general conjecture is stated on the cone of automorphic vector bundles admitting nonzero global sections on schemes endowed with a smooth, surjective morphism to a stack of $G$-zips of connected-Hodge-type; such schemes should include all…

We consider the parameter space $\mathcal U_d$ of smooth plane curves of degree $d$. The universal smooth plane curve of degree $d$ is a fiber bundle $\mathcal E_d\to\mathcal U_d$ with fiber diffeomorphic to a surface $\Sigma_g$. This…

Let S be a closed surface of genus g >= 2 and z in S a marked point. We prove that the subgroup of the mapping class group Map(S,z) corresponding to the fundamental group pi_1(S,z) of the closed surface does not lift to the group of…

Given a semisimple, compact, connected Lie group G with complexification G^c, we show there is a stable range in the homotopy type of the universal moduli space of flat connections on a principal G-bundle on a closed Riemann surface, and…

The space of chains on a compact connected space encodes all the different ways of continuously growing out of a point until exhausting the space. A chain is \emph{generic} if its orbit under the action of the underlying homeomorphism group…

Over any field of characteristic $0$, we prove that the homotopy exact sequence of algebraic fundamental groups for the universal curve with unordered marked points does not split. The same nonsplitting holds for the universal hyperelliptic…

We consider a log-Riemann surface $\mathcal{S}$ with a finite number of ramification points and finitely generated fundamental group. The log-Riemann surface is equipped with a local holomorphic difffeomorphism $\pi : \mathcal{S} \to \C$.…

We study the configuration space of distinct, unordered points on compact orientable surfaces of genus $g$, denoted $S_g$. Specifically, we address the section problem, which concerns the addition of $n$ distinct points to an existing…

Given an $n$-gon, the poset of all collections of pairwise non-crossing diagonals is isomorphic to the face poset of some convex polytope called \textit{associahedron}. We replace in this setting the $n$-gon (viewed as a disc with $n$…

We study the set ${\mathcal P}_S$ consisting of all branched holomorphic projective structures on a compact Riemann surface $X$ of genus $g \geq 1$ and with a fixed branching divisor $S:= \sum_{i=1}^d n_i\cdot x_i$, where $x_i \in X$. Under…

We formulate a tropical analogue of Grothendieck's section conjecture: that for every stable graph G of genus g>2, and every field k, the generic curve with reduction type G over k satisfies the section conjecture. We prove many cases of…

For each circle bundle $S^1\to X\to\Sigma_g$ over a surface with genus $g\ge2$, there is a natural surjection $\pi:Homeo^+(X)\to Mod(\Sigma_g)$. When $X$ is the unit tangent bundle $U\Sigma_g$, it is well-known that $\pi$ splits. On the…

Let $S$ be a surface with $p_g(S)=0$, $q(S)=1$ and endowed with a very ample line bundle $\mathcal O_S(h)$ such that $h^1\big(S,\mathcal O_S(h)\big)=0$. We show that such an $S$ supports families of dimension $p$ of pairwise non-isomorphic,…

Let $S$ be a surface with $p_g(S)=q(S)=0$ and endowed with a very ample line bundle $\mathcal O_S(h)$ such that $h^1\big(S,\mathcal O_S(h)\big)=0$. We show that $S$ supports special (often stable) Ulrich bundles of rank $2$, extending a…