Related papers: On the linearity problem for mapping class groups

We construct a CAT(0) group containing a finitely presented subgroup with infinitely many conjugacy classes of finite-order elements. Unlike previous examples (which were based on right-angled Artin groups) our ambient CAT(0) group does not…

Let F be an infinitely generated free group and R a fully invariant subgroup of F such that (a) R is contained in the commutator subgroup F' of F and (b) the quotient group F/R is residually torsion-free nilpotent. Then the automorphism…

The palindromic automorphism group is a subgroup of the automorphism group $Aut(F_3).$ We establish a necessary and sufficient condition for a matrix in $GL_n(\mathbb{Z})$ representing a palindromic automorphism of $F_n.$ We prove that the…

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…

Let $A_1,...,A_k$ be a system of free factors of $F_n$. The group of relative automorphisms $Aut(F_n;A_1,...,A_k)$ is the group given by the automorphisms of $F_n$ that restricted to each $A_i$ are conjugations by elements in $F_n$. The…

Dyer and Formanek (1976) proved that if N is a free nilpotent group of class two and of finite rank which is not equal to 1, or to 3, then the automorphism group Aut(N) of N is complete. The main result of the present paper states that the…

Let F_n be the free group of rank n, with generating set S=\{x_1,...,x_n\}. An automorphism \phi of F_n is called symmetric if for each 1\leq i\leq n, \phi(x_i) is conjugate to x_j or x_j^{-1} for some 1\leq j\leq n. Let \Sigma Aut(F_n) be…

We prove that abelian subgroups of the outer automorphism group of a free group are quasi-isometrically embedded. Our proof uses recent developments in the theory of train track maps by Feighn-Handel. As an application, we prove the rank…

We consider the class of countable groups possessing an action on a finite product of hyperbolic graphs where every infinite order element acts loxodromically. When the graphs are locally finite, we obtain strong structure theorems for the…

In this paper, we investigate the structure of the automorphism groups of pure braid groups. We prove that, for $n>3$, $\Aut(P_n)$ is generated by the subgroup $\Aut_c(P_n)$ of central automorphisms of $P_n$, the subgroup $\Aut(B_n)$ of…

In this paper we describe the structure of a group of conjugating automorphisms $C_n$ of free group and prove that this structure is similar to the structure of a braid group $B_n$ with $n>1$ strings. We find the linear representation of…

There is a series of cycles in the rational homology of the groups Out(F_n), first discovered by S. Morita, which have an elementary description in terms of finite graphs. The first two of these give nontrivial homology classes, and it is…

A palindrome in a free group F_n is a word on some fixed free basis of F_n that reads the same backwards as forwards. The palindromic automorphism group \Pi A_n of the free group F_n consists of automorphisms that take each member of some…

We prove that, for n=3 and 4, the minimal nonabelian finite factor group of the outer automorphism group Out F_n of a free group of rank n is the linear group PSL_n(Z_2) (conjecturally, this may remain true for arbitrary rank n > 2). We…

Let $\mathcal{L}$ be a finite-dimensional semisimple Lie algebra of rank $N$ over an algebraically closed field of characteristic $0$. Associated to $\mathcal{L}$ is a family of polynomial folding maps…

Consider a normal projective variety $X$, a linear algebraic subgroup $G$ of Aut($X$), and the field $K$ of $G$-invariant rational functions on $X$. We show that the subgroup of Aut($X$) that fixes $K$ pointwise is linear algebraic. If $K$…

We construct, for the first time, various types of specific non-special finite $p$-groups having abelian automorphism group. More specifically, we construct groups $G$ with abelian automorphism group such that $\gamma_2(G) < \mathrm{Z}(G) <…

We show that diagram groups can be viewed as fundamental groups of spaces of positive paths on directed 2-complexes (these spaces of paths turn out to be classifying spaces). Thus diagram groups are analogs of second homotopy groups,…

We consider an action of the automorphism group $\mathrm{Aut}(F_n)$ of the free group $F_n$ of rank $n$ on the filtered vector space $A_d(n)$ of Jacobi diagrams of degree $d$ on $n$ oriented arcs. This action induces on the associated…

Considering a certain construction of algebraic varieties $X$ endowed with an algebraic action of the group ${\rm Aut}(F_n)$, $n<\infty$, we obtain a criterion for the faithfulness of this action. It gives an infinite family $\mathscr F$ of…