Related papers: On minimal generating sets for the mapping class g…

Let $N_{g}$ denote the closed non-orientable surface of genus $g$ and let ${\mathcal M} _g$ denote the mapping class group of $N_{g}$. Let ${\mathcal T} _g$ denote the twist subgroup of ${\mathcal M} _g$ which is the subgroup of ${\mathcal…

We classify minimal complex surfaces of general type with $p_g=q=3$. More precisely, we show that such a surface is either the symmetric product of a curve of genus 3 or a free $\Z_2-$quotient of the product of a curve of genus 2 and a…

A generating set for a finite group $G$ is said to be minimal if no proper subset generates $G$, and $m(G)$ denotes the maximal size of a minimal generating set for $G$. We prove a conjecture of Lucchini, Moscatiello and Spiga by showing…

Given a pair of filling curves $\alpha, \beta$ on a surface of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures, we explicitly compute the mapping classes realizing the minimal dilatation over all the pseudo-Anosov maps given by the Thurston construction on…

Let G be a group of the form G_1* ... *G_n, the free product of n subgroups, and let M be a ZG-module of the form $\bigoplus_{i=1}^n M_i \otimes_{\mathbb{Z}G_i} \mathbb{Z}G$. We shall give formulae in various situations for $d_{ZG}(M)$, the…

A crosscap transposition is an element of the mapping class group of a nonorientable surface represented by a homeomorphism supported on a one-holed Klein bottle and swapping two crosscaps. We prove that the mapping class group of a compact…

Let $p: S\to S_g$ be a finite covering of an orientable closed surface of genus $g$. We prove that, for $g\geq 3$, the rational homology group $H_1(S;{\mathbb Q})$ is generated by cycles supported on simple closed curves $\gamma\subset S$…

Let $\Sigma_{g,r}$ denote the $r$-punctured closed Riemann surface of genus $g$. For every $g\geq 0$, we determine the four-variable generating function for the mixed Hodge numbers of the unordered configuration spaces of $\Sigma_{g,1}$.…

Given a certain triangulation of a punctured surface with boundary, we construct a new triangulated surface without punctures which covers it. This new surface is naturally equipped with an action of a group of order two, and its quotient…

In this paper we compute the mapping class group of closed simply-connected 6-manifolds $M$ which look like complete intersections, i.~e.~ $H_2(M;\mathbb Z) \cong \mathbb Z $ and $x^3 \ne 0$ where $x \in H^2(M; \mathbb Z)$ is a generator.…

The Torelli group, I(S_g), is the subgroup of the mapping class group consisting of elements that act trivially on the homology of the surface. There are three types of elements that naturally arise in studying I(S_g): bounding pair maps,…

In this short note we prove that, if $p$ is an odd prime dividing the order of a sporadic simple group, then with the exception of four groups for $p=3$, all sporadic simple groups are generated by an involution and an element of order $p$.

We classify all the surfaces with p_g = q = 0 which admit an unramified covering which is isomorphic to a product of curves. Beyond the trivial case \PP^1 x \PP^1 we find 17 families which we explicitly describe. We reduce the problem to a…

It is a classical result of Powell that pure mapping class groups of connected, orientable surfaces of finite type and genus at least three are perfect. In stark contrast, we construct nontrivial homomorphisms from infinite-genus mapping…

Let $X$ be a compact Riemann surface of genus $g$ and let $x \in X$. We derive the classical presentation of $\pi_1(X,x)$ (i.e the one given by $2g$ generators $a_1,b_1, \dots, a_g,b_g$ and the relation $\prod_{i=1}^g[a_i,b_i] = 1$) from…

We prove that the handlebody subgroup of the Torelli group of an orientable surface is generated by genus one BP-maps. As an application, we give a normal generating set for the handlebody subgroup of the level $d$ mapping class group of an…

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 show that Szepietowski's system of generators for the mapping class group of a non-orientable surface is a minimal generating set by Dehn twists and $Y$-homemorphisms.

Herein we prove that if $M$ is a compact oriented Riemann surface of genus $g$, and $M^{[n]}$ is the classifying space of $n$ distinct, unordered points on $M$, then the kernel of the map $\pi_1(M^{[n]})\to H_1(M)$ is generated by…

We perform the asymptotic enumeration of two classes of rooted maps on orientable surfaces of genus g: m-hypermaps and m-constellations. For m=2, they correspond respectively to maps with even face degrees and bipartite maps. We obtain…