Big mapping class groups with uncountable integral homology
Abstract
We prove that, for any infinite-type surface $S$, the integral homology of the closure of the compactly-supported mapping class group $\overline{\mathrm{PMap}_c(S)}$ and of the Torelli group $\mathcal{T}(S)$ is uncountable in every positive degree. By our results in arXiv:2211.07470 and other known computations, such a statement cannot be true for the full mapping class group $\mathrm{Map}(S)$ for all infinite-type surfaces $S$. However, we are still able to prove that the integral homology of $\mathrm{Map}(S)$ is uncountable in all positive degrees for a large class of infinite-type surfaces $S$. The key property of this class of surfaces is, roughly, that the space of ends of the surface $S$ contains a limit point of topologically distinguished points. Our result includes in particular all finite-genus surfaces having countable end spaces with a unique point of maximal Cantor-Bendixson rank $\alpha$, where $\alpha$ is a successor ordinal. We also observe an order-$10$ element in the first homology of the pure mapping class group of any surface of genus $2$, answering a recent question of G. Domat.
- Publication:
-
arXiv e-prints
- Pub Date:
- December 2022
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:2212.11942
- Bibcode:
- 2022arXiv221211942P
- Keywords:
-
- Mathematics - Geometric Topology;
- Mathematics - Algebraic Topology;
- Mathematics - Group Theory;
- 57K20;
- 20J06
- E-Print:
- 20 pages, 6 figures. To appear in Documenta Mathematica