Related papers: Nielsen realization in dimension four and projecti…

For a 3-manifold M, the twist group Twist(M) is the subgroup of the mapping class group Mod(M) generated by twists about embedded 2-spheres. We study the Nielsen realization problem for subgroups of Twist(M). We prove that a nontrivial…

The cyclic Nielsen realization problem for a closed, oriented manifold asks whether any mapping class of finite order can be represented by a homeomorphism of the same order. In this article, we resolve the smooth, metric, and complex…

We prove that, for a closed oriented smooth spin 4-manifold $X$ with non-zero signature, the Dehn twist about a $(+2)$- or $(-2)$-sphere in $X$ is not homotopic to any finite order diffeomorphism. In particular, we negatively answer the…

The smooth (resp. metric and complex) Nielsen Realization Problem for K3 surfaces $M$ asks: when can a finite group $G$ of mapping classes of $M$ be realized by a finite group of diffeomorphisms (resp. isometries of a Ricci-flat metric, or…

Given a smooth, oriented, simply-connected $4$-manifold $M$, the homological Nielsen realization problem asks: when does a finite group of isometries $G\leq O(H_2(M;\mathbb{Z}))$ preserving the intersection form lift isomorphically to a…

Given a finite subgroup G of the mapping class group of a surface S, the Nielsen realization problem asks whether G can be realized as a finite group of homeomorphisms of S. In 1983, Kerckhoff showed that for S a finite-type surface, any…

The goal of this paper is to construct distinct trisections of the same genus on a fixed 4-manifold. For every $k \geq 2$, we construct $2^{k}-1$ non-diffeomorphic $(3k,k)$-trisections on infinitely many 4-manifolds. Here, the manifolds are…

The mapping class group $M(X)$ of a smooth manifold $X$ is the group of smooth isotopy classes of orientation preserving diffeomorphisms of $X$. We prove a number of results about the mapping class groups of compact, simply-connected,…

We show the Teichm\"uller space of a non-orientable surface with marked points (considered as a Klein surface) can be identified with a subspace of the Teichm\"uller space of its orientable double cover. Also, it is well known that the…

The Nielsen Realization problem asks when the group homomorphism from Diff(M) to pi_0 Diff(M) admits a section. For M a closed surface, Kerckhoff proved that a section exists over any finite subgroup, but Morita proved that if the genus is…

We give a numerical criterion for the Nielsen realization problem for Enriques manifolds, based on the recent developments on the Birman-Hilden theory for hyper-K\"ahler manifolds and on Nielsen realization for hyper-K\"ahler manifolds. We…

We discuss recent results and open questions on the broad theme of (Nielsen) realization problems. Beyond realizing subgroups of mapping class groups, there are many other natural instances where one can ask if a surjection from a group of…

We consider finite group-actions on 3-manifolds $\cal H_g$ obtained as the connected sum of $g$ copies of $S^2 \times S^1$, with free fundamental group $F_g$ of rank $g$. We prove that, for $g > 1$, a finite group of diffeomorphisms of…

We establish constraints on the topology of smooth Lefschetz fibrations with $4$-dimensional fibers, by studying the family Bauer-Furuta invariant. To compute this invariant, we analyze the framed bordism class of 1-dimensional…

For a based manifold (M,*), the question of whether the surjection Diff(M,*) \rightarrow \pi_0 Diff(M,*) admits a section is an example of a Nielsen realization problem. This question is related to a question about flat connections on…

Given two maps between smooth manifolds, the obstruction to removing their coincidences (via homotopies) is measured by minimum numbers. In order to determine them we introduce and study an infinite hierarchy of Nielsen numbers N_i, i = 0,…

This note has two related but independent parts. Firstly, we prove a generalisation of a recent result of Gay on the smooth mapping class group of $S^4$. Secondly, we give an alternative proof of a consequence of work of Saeki, namely that…

We show that there exist smooth, simply connected, four-dimensional spin manifolds which do not admit Einstein metrics, but nonetheless satisfy the strict Hitchin-Thorpe inequality. Our construction makes use of the Bauer/Furuta cohomotopy…

Let $M$ be a smooth $4$-manifold underlying some del Pezzo surface of degree $d \geq 6$. We consider the smooth Nielsen realization problem for $M$: which finite subgroups of $\text{Mod}(M) = \pi_0(\text{Homeo}^+(M))$ have lifts to…

For each nonnegative integer m we show that any closed, oriented topological four-manifold with fundamental group Z_{4m+2} and odd intersection form, with possibly seven exceptions, either admits no smooth structure or admits infinitely…