Related papers: Separating subgroups of mapping class groups in ho…
We prove that for each sufficiently complicated orientable surface $S$, there exists an infinite image linear representation $\rho$ of $\pi_1(S)$ such that if $\gamma\in\pi_1(S)$ is freely homotopic to a simple closed curve on $S$, then…
The action of the mapping class group $\mathrm{Mod}_g$ of an oriented surface $\Sigma_g$ on the lower central series of $\pi_1(\Sigma_g)$ defines the descending filtration in $\mathrm{Mod}_g$ called the Johnson filtration. The first two…
Let G be a real semisimple Lie group with no compact factors and finite centre, and let $\Lambda$ be a lattice in G. Suppose that there exists a homomorphism from $\Lambda$ to the outer automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group…
Johnson has defined a surjective homomorphism from the Torelli subgroup of the mapping class group of the surface of genus $g$ with one boundary component to $\wedge^3 H$, the third exterior product of the homology of the surface. Morita…
We focus on two kinds of infinite index subgroups of the mapping class group of a surface associated with a Lagrangian submodule of the first homology of a surface. These subgroups, called Lagrangian mapping class groups, are known to play…
We define new bordism and spin bordism invariants of certain subgroups of the mapping class group of a surface. In particular, they are invariants of the Johnson filtration of the mapping class group. The second and third terms of this…
We study sequences of modular representations of the symplectic and special linear groups over finite fields obtained from the first homology of congruence subgroups of mapping class groups and automorphism groups of free groups, and the…
Combinatorial aspects of the Torelli-Johnson-Morita theory of surface automorphisms are extended to certain subgroups of the mapping class groups. These subgroups are defined relative to a specified homomorphism from the fundamental group…
By considering appropriate finite covering spaces of closed non-orientable surfaces, we construct linear representations of their mapping class group which have finite index image in certain big arithmetic groups.
Let $\Gamma$ be a finitely generated nilpotent group and let G be a complex reductive algebraic group. The representation variety $\mathrm{Hom}(\Gamma,G)$ and the character variety $\mathrm{Hom}(\Gamma,G)//G$ each carry a natural topology,…
A mapping class group of an oriented manifold is a quotient of its diffeomorphism group by the isotopies. In the published version of "Mapping class group and a global Torelli theorem for hyperkahler manifolds" I made an error based on a…
We prove that various subgroups of the mapping class group $Mod(\Sigma)$ of a surface $\Sigma$ are at least exponentially distorted. Examples include the Torelli group (answering a question of Hamenstadt), the "point-pushing" and surface…
We prove that every term of the lower central series and Johnson filtrations of the Torelli subgroups of the mapping class group and the automorphism group of a free group is finitely generated in a linear stable range. This was originally…
We study quotients of mapping class groups (\Gamma_{g,1}) of oriented surfaces with one boundary component by terms of their Johnson filtrations, and we show that the homology of these quotients with suitable systems of twisted coefficients…
A group $\Gamma$ is defined to be cofinitely Hopfian if every homomorphism $\Gamma\to\Gamma$ whose image is of finite index is an automorphism. Geometrically significant groups enjoying this property include certain relatively hyperbolic…
This paper grew out of an attempt to find a suitable finite sheeted covering of an aspherical 3-manifold so that the cover either has infinite or trivial first homology group. With this motivation we define a new class of groups. These…
Let K be the subgroup of the extended mapping class group, Mod(S), generated by Dehn twists about separating curves. Assuming that S is a closed, orientable surface of genus at least 4, we confirm a conjecture of Farb that Comm(K), Aut(K)…
We show that the isomorphism problem is solvable in the class of central extensions of word-hyperbolic groups, and that the isomorphism problem for biautomatic groups reduces to that for biautomatic groups with finite centre. We describe an…
The main goal of this note is to provide evidence that the first rational homology of the Johnson subgroup $K_{g,1}$ of the mapping class group of a genus g surface with one marked point is finite-dimensional. Building on work of…
By Theorem~1.12 of the paper "A Class of Representations of Hecke Algebras", if $W$ is a Coxeter group whose proper parabolic subgroups are finite, and if the module of a finite $W$-digraph $\Gamma$ is isomorphic to the module of a…