Related papers: The R$_{\infty}$-property for braid groups over or…
In this paper we define a $\mathbf{QP}^1$-valued class function on the mapping class group $\mathcal{M}_{g,2}$ of a surface $\Sigma_{g,2}$ of genus $g$ with two boundary components. Let $E$ be a $\Sigma_{g,2}$ bundle over a pair of pants…
Let $\Gamma_g$ be the fundamental group of a closed connected orientable surface of genus $g\geq2$. We introduce a combinatorial structure of "core surfaces", that represent subgroups of $\Gamma_g$. These structures are (usually)…
Let $M$ be the disk or a compact, connected surface without boundary different from the sphere $S^2$ and the real projective plane $\mathbb{R}P^2$, and let $N$ be a compact, connected surface (possibly with boundary). It is known that the…
Let M be a compact surface, either orientable or non-orientable. We study the lower central and derived series of the braid and pure braid groups of M in order to determine the values of n for which B\_n(M) and P\_n(M) are residually…
We prove the irreducibility of the space parametrizing branched covers of a fixed Riemann surface $B$ of degree $d$, with at least 2d branch points, and with monodromy group equal to $S_d$. The result is classical for $g(B)=0$. The result…
If G is a finitely generated group, and A an algebraic group, then Hom(G,A) is a possibly reducible algebraic variety denoted by R_A(G). Here we define the profile function, P_d(R_A(G)), of the representation variety of G over A to be…
We construct an explicit bundle with flat connection on the configuration space of n points of a complex curve. This enables one to recover the `formality' isomorphism between the Lie algebra of the prounipotent completion of the pure braid…
We show that surface groups are flexibly stable in permutations. This is the first non-trivial example of a non-amenable flexibly stable group. Our method is purely geometric and relies on an analysis of branched covers of hyperbolic…
It was proved by Tien-Cuong Dinh and me that there is a smooth complex projective surface whose automorphism group is discrete and not finitely generated. In this paper, we will show that there is a smooth projective surface, birational to…
Let G be a group and {\phi} be an automorphism of G. Two elements x, y of G are said to be {\phi}-twisted if y = gx{\phi}(g)^{-1} for some g in G. We say that a group G has the R_{\infty}-property if the number of {\phi}-twisted conjugacy…
We say a group $G$ has property $R_\infty$ if the number $R(\varphi)$ of twisted conjugacy classes is infinite for every automorphism $\varphi$ of $G$. For such groups, the $R_\infty$-nilpotency degree is the least integer $c$ such that…
We give another proof for a result of Brick stating that the simple connectivity at infinity is a geometric property of finitely presented groups. This allows us to define the rate of vanishing of $\p1i$ for those groups which are simply…
A smooth, projective surface $S$ of general type is said to be a \emph{standard isotrivial fibration} if there exist a finite group $G$ which acts faithfully on two smooth projective curves $C$ and $F$ so that $S$ is isomorphic to the…
This is a survey on the automorphism groups in various classes of affine algebraic surfaces and the algebraic group actions on such surfaces. Being infinite-dimensional, these automorphism groups share some important features of algebraic…
We establish property $R_\infty$ for Artin groups of spherical type $D_n$, $n\ge6$, their central quotients, and also for large hyperbolic-type free-of-infinity Artin groups and some other classes of large-type Artin groups. The key…
We compute the twisted cohomology of the mapping class group with level structures, with coefficients in the $r$-tensor powers of the Prym representations for any positive integer $r$. When $r\ge 2$, we show that the cohomology exhibits…
In this article we consider compact Riemann surfaces that are uniquely determined by the property of possessing a group of automorphisms of a prescribed order, strengthening uniqueness results proved by Nakagawa. More precisely, we deal…
Combining several previously known arguments, we prove marked length spectrum rigidity for surfaces with nonpositively curved Riemannian metrics away from a finite set of cone-type singularities with cone angles $>2\pi$. With an additional…
We study the rigidity of complete, embedded constant mean curvature surfaces in R^3. Among other things, we prove that when such a surface has finite genus, then intrinsic isometries of the surface extend to isometries of R^3 or its…
We present the viewpoint of treating one-dimensional band structures as Riemann surfaces, linking the unique properties of non-Hermiticity to the geometry and topology of the Riemann surface. Branch cuts and branch points play a significant…