Representation varieties of the fundamental groups of compact orientable surfaces

We show that the representation variety for the surface group in characteristic zero is (absolutely) irreducible and rational over ℚ. This work was supported in part by the International Science Foundation (Grant No. MWQ000). Visiting the University of Michigan (Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA) in 1992–94.     

Rigidity in the class of orientable compact surfaces of minimal total absolute curvature

Consider an orientable compact surface in three-dimensional Euclidean space with minimum total absolute curvature. If the Gaussian curvature changes sign to finite order and satisfies a nondegeneracy condition along closed asymptotic curves, we show that any other isometric surface differs by at most a Euclidean motion.     

Automorphisms of symmetric groups are toy examples for mapping class groups

We give a new proof establishing the automorphism groups of the symmetric groups inspired by the analogous result of Ivanov for the extended mapping class group. As a key tool, we consider the actions on the Kneser graphs.     

Decomposition of closed orientable geometric surfaces into acute geodesic triangles

We prove that for every \(g\ge 2\), a differentiable closed orientable geometric surface of genus g may be decomposed into \(16g-16\) acute geodesic triangles. We also determine the number of acute geodesic triangles needed for the sphere and the torus.     

Homological stability for the mapping class groups of non-orientable surfaces

We prove that the homology of the mapping class groups of non-orientable surfaces stabilizes with the genus of the surface. Combining our result with recent work of Madsen and Weiss, we obtain that the classifying space of the stable mapping class group of non-orientable surfaces, up to homology isomorphism, is the infinite loop space of a Thom spectrum built from the canonical bundle over the Grassmannians of 2-planes in ℝ ⁿ⁺². In particular, we show that the stable rational cohomology is a polynomial algebra on generators in degrees 4i – this is the non-oriented analogue of the Mumford conjecture.     

Isotopy-invariant topological measures on closed orientable surfaces of higher genus

Given a closed orientable surface Σ of genus at least two, we establish an affine isomorphism between the convex compact set of isotopy-invariant topological measures on Σ and the convex compact set of additive functions on the set of isotopy classes of certain subsurfaces of Σ. We then construct such additive functions, and thus isotopy-invariant topological measures, from probability measures on Σ together with some additional data. The map associating topological measures to probability measures is affine and continuous. Certain Dirac measures map to simple topological measures, while the topological measures due to Py and Rosenberg arise from the normalized Euler characteristic.     

On graded quotient modules of mapping class groups of surfaces

Let Γ _{g, n} be the mapping class group of a compact Riemann surface of genusg withn points preserved (2−2g−n<0,g≥1,n≥0). The Torelli subgroup of Γ _{g, n} has a natural weight filtration {Γ_{g, n}(m)} _m≥1. Each graded quotient gr ^m Γ _{g, n} ⊗ ℚ (m≥1) is a finite dimensional vector space over ℚ on which the group Sp(2g, ℚ)×S _n naturally acts. In this paper, we have determined the Sp(2g, ℚ)×S _n module structure of gr ^m Γ _{g, n} ⊗ ℚ for 1≤m≤3. This includes a verification of an expectation by S. Morita. Also, for generalm, we have identified a certain Sp(2g, ℚ)-irreducible component of gr ^m Γ _{g, n} ⊗ ℚ by constructing explicitly elements in these modules.     

Automorphisms of the mapping class group of a nonorientable surface

Let \(\mathcal {X}_S\) denote the class of spaces homeomorphic to two closed orientable surfaces of genus greater than one identified to each other along an essential simple closed curve in each surface. Let \(\mathcal {C}_S\) denote the set of fundamental groups of spaces in \(\mathcal {X}_S\). In this paper, we characterize the abstract commensurability classes within \(\mathcal {C}_S\) in terms of the ratio of the Euler characteristic of the surfaces identified and the topological type of the curves identified. We prove that all groups in \(\mathcal {C}_S\) are quasi-isometric by exhibiting a bilipschitz map between the universal covers of two spaces in \(\mathcal {X}_S\). In particular, we prove that the universal covers of any two such spaces may be realized as isomorphic cell complexes with finitely many isometry types of hyperbolic polygons as cells. We analyze the abstract commensurability classes within \(\mathcal {C}_S\): we characterize which classes contain a maximal element within \(\mathcal {C}_S\); we prove each abstract commensurability class contains a right-angled Coxeter group; and, we construct a common CAT(0) cubical model geometry for each abstract commensurability class.     

Locally compact groups with complementary closed subgroups

Topological groups with complementary closed abelian subgroups and with complementary monothetic subgroups are considered.Translated from Matematicheskie Zametki, Vol. 6, No. 6, pp. 641–649, December, 1969.     

A simple presentation for the mapping class group of an orientable surface

LetF _n.k be an orientable compact surface of genusn withk boundary components. For a suitable choice of 2n + 1 simple closed curves onF _n,1 the corresponding Dehn twists generate bothM _n,o andM _n,1. A complete system of relations is determined for these generators and the presentations ofM _n,0 andM _n,1 obtained in this way are much simpler than the known presentations.     

A generalization of the Morita-Mumford classes to extended mapping class groups for surfaces

Let Σ _g,1 be an oriented compact surface of genus g with 1 boundary component, and Γ _g,1 the mapping class group of Σ _g,1 . We define a bigraded series of cohomology classes m _i,j ∈H ^2i+j−2 (Γ _g,1 ;⋀ ^j H ₁(Σ _g,1 ;ℤ)), 2i+j−2≥1,i,j≥0. When j=0, the class m _i+1,0 is the i-th Morita- Mumford class [Mo][Mu]. It is proved that H ^r (Γ _g,1 ;⋀ ^s H ₁(Σ _g,1 ;ℚ)) is generated by m _i,j 's for the case r+s=2 and the case g≥5 and (r,s)=(1,3). Especially the Johnson homomorphism extended to the whole mapping class group by Morita [Mo3] has an implicit representation by the classes m _0,3 and m _0,2 m _1,1 over ℚ. Oblatum 28-IV-1995 & 8-II-1997