Related papers: An EZ-structure for the mapping class group
We analyze the number of ends of the mapping class group of a stable avenue surface. We prove that the mapping class group is one-ended whenever the stable avenue surface has at least one end of discrete type. Our method is to show that the…
We construct finite-dimensional projective representations of the mapping class groups of compact connected oriented surfaces having one boundary component using stated skein algebras.
We compute the topological mapping class group of every compact, simply connected, topological 4-manifold. This was previously only known in the closed case. If the 4-manifold is smooth, we deduce an analogous description of the stable…
The 'contracting boundary' of a proper geodesic metric space consists of equivalence classes of geodesic rays that behave like rays in a hyperbolic space. We introduce a geometrically relevant, quasi-isometry invariant topology on the…
We survey recent developments on mapping class groups of surfaces of infinite topological type.
Let S be an orientable surface of finite type and let Mod(S) be its mapping class group. We consider actions of Mod(S) by semisimple isometries on complete CAT(0) spaces. If the genus of S is at least 3, then in any such action all Dehn…
We define the notion of a hierarchically cocompact classifying space for a family of subgroups of a group. Our main application is to show that the mapping class group $\mbox{Mod}(S)$ of any connected oriented compact surface $S$, possibly…
In this paper, we study the algebraic structure of mapping class group $Mod(X)$ of 3-manifolds $X$ that fiber as a circle bundle over a surface $S^1\rightarrow X\rightarrow S_g$. There is an exact sequence $1\rightarrow H^1(S_g)\rightarrow…
Given a complex of groups over a finite simplicial complex in the sense of Haefliger, we give conditions under which it is possible to build an EZ-structure in the sense of Farrell-Lafont for its fundamental group out of such structures for…
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.…
This paper is about cohomology of mapping class groups from the perspective of arithmetic groups. For a closed surface $S$ of genus $g$, the mapping class group $Mod(S)$ admits a well-known arithmetic quotient $Mod(S)\rightarrow Sp(2g, Z)$,…
For $\Sigma$ an orientable surface of finite topological type having genus at least 3 (possibly closed or possibly with any number of punctures or boundary components), we show that the mapping class group $Mod(\Sigma)$ has no faithful…
Surface groups are determined among limit groups by their profinite completions. As a corollary, the set of surface words in a free group is closed in the profinite topology.
Let $\phi \in {\rm Mod}(\Sigma)$ be an arbitrary element of the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface $\Sigma$ of genus at least $2$. For any characteristic cover $\widetilde{\Sigma} \to \Sigma$ one can consider the linear…
We generalize Bestvina's notion of a $\mathcal{Z}$-boundary for a group to that of a "coarse $\mathcal{Z}$-boundary." We show that established theorems about $\mathcal{Z}$-boundaries carry over nicely to the more general theory, and that…
Actions of finite groups on stable curves are studied. They appear naturally at the boundary of a moduli space of smooth curves with group actions. Those actions which can equivariantly smoothed are characterised. A description of…
Consider a one-ended word-hyperbolic group. If it is the fundamental group of a graph of free groups with cyclic edge groups then either it is the fundamental group of a surface or it contains a finitely generated one-ended subgroup of…
The mapping class group $\mathrm{Mod}_{g, 1}$ of a surface with one marked point can be identified with an index two subgroup of $\mathrm{Aut}(\pi_1 \Sigma_g)$. For a surface of genus $g \geq 2$, we show that any action of $\mathrm{Mod}_{g,…
We refine the construction of quasi-homomorphisms on mapping class groups. It is useful to know that there are unbounded quasi-homomorphisms which are bounded when restricted to particular subgroups since then one deduces that the mapping…
This survey/expository article covers a variety of topics related to the "topology at infinity" of noncompact manifolds and complexes. In manifold topology and geometric group theory, the most important noncompact spaces are often…