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Benson Farb

Publications and source records attributed to Benson Farb.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

On the geometric nature of characteristic classes of surface bundles

Each Morita--Mumford--Miller (MMM) class e_n assigns to each genus g >= 2 surface bundle S_g -> E^{2n+2} -> M^{2n} an integer e_n^#(E -> M) := in Z. We prove that when n is odd the number e_n^#(E -> M) depends only on the diffeomorphism type of E, not on g, M, or the map E -> M. More generally, we prove that e_n^#(E -> M) depends only on the cobordism class of E. Recent work of Hatcher implies that this stronger statement is false when n is even. If E -> M is a holomorphic fibering of complex manifolds, we show that for every n the number e_n^#(E -> M) only depends on the complex cobordism type of E. We give a general procedure to construct manifolds fibering as surface bundles in multiple ways, providing infinitely many examples to which our theorems apply. As an application of our results we give a new proof of the rational case of a recent theorem of Giansiracusa--Tillmann that the odd MMM classes e_{2i-1} vanish for any surface bundle which bounds a handlebody bundle. We show how the MMM classes can be seen as obstructions to low-genus fiberings. Finally, we discuss a number of open questions that arise from this work.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Parametrized Abel-Jacobi maps and abelian cycles in the Torelli group

Let I_g,* denote the (pointed) Torelli group. This is the group of homotopy classes of homeomorphisms of the genus g >= 2 surface S_g with a marked point, acting trivially on H := H_1(S_g). In 1983 Johnson constructed a beautiful family of invariants tau_i: H_i(I_g,*) -> /\^{i+2} H for 0 <= i <= 2g-2, using a kind of Abel-Jacobi map for families, in order to detect nontrivial cycles in I_g,*. Johnson proved that tau_1 is an isomorphism rationally, and asked if the same is true for tau_i with i > 1. The goal of this paper is to introduce various methods for computing tau_i; in particular we prove that tau_i is not injective (even rationally) for any 2 <= i < g, and that tau_2 is surjective. For g >= 3, we find enough classes in the image of tau_i to deduce that H_i(I_g,*, Q) is nonzero for each 1 <= i < g, in contrast with mapping class groups. Many of our classes are stable, so we can deduce that H_i(I_infty,1, Q) is infinite-dimensional for each i >= 1. Finally, we conjecture a new kind of "representation-theoretic stability" for the homology of the Torelli group, for which our results provide evidence.

math.GT↗
arXiv2010

Teichmuller geometry of moduli space, I: Distance minimizing rays and the Deligne-Mumford compactification

Let $S$ be a closed, oriented surface with a finite (possibly empty) set of points removed. In this paper we relate two important but disparate topics in the study of the moduli space $\M(S)$ of Riemann surfaces: Teichmüller geometry and the Deligne-Mumford compactification. We reconstruct the Deligne-Mumford compactification (as a metric stratified space) purely from the intrinsic metric geometry of $\M(S)$ endowed with the Teichmüller metric. We do this by first classifying (globally) geodesic rays in $\M(S)$ and determining precisely how pairs of rays asymptote. We construct an "iterated EDM ray space" functor, which is defined on a quite general class of metric spaces. We then prove that this functor applied to $\M(S)$ produces the Deligne-Mumford compactification.

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arXiv2010

The extremal symmetry of arithmetic simplicial complexes

Let $G$ be a higher-rank semisimple Lie group over a nonarchimedean local field, for example $G={\rm PGL}(n,Q_P)$. To any lattice $L$ in $G$ there is an associated simplicial complex $B_L$, given by the quotient by $L$ of the Bruhat-Tits building associated to $G$. In this paper prove that the simplicial structure $B_L$ exhibits some remarkable and extremal symmetry properties, in particular when compared to any other simplicial structure on (any cover of) $B_L$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2010

The intrinsic asymmetry and inhomogeneity of Teichmuller space

Royden proved that any isometry of Teichmuller space in the Teichmuller metric must be an element of the extended mapping class group M(S). He also proved that the Teichmuller metric is not symmetric at any point. In this paper we give extensions of Royden's theorems from the Teichmuller metric to an arbitrary complete, finite covolume, M(S)-invariant Finsler (e.g. Riemannian) metric on Teichmuller space. In particular this gives a new mechanism behind Royden's original theorem.

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arXiv2009

Infinite generation of the kernels of the Magnus and Burau representations

Consider the kernel Mag_g of the Magnus representation of the Torelli group and the kernel Bur_n of the Burau representation of the braid group. We prove that for g >= 2 and for n >= 6 the groups Mag_g and Bur_n have infinite rank first homology. As a consequence we conclude that neither group has any finite generating set. The method of proof in each case consists of producing a kind of "Johnson-type" homomorphism to an infinite rank abelian group, and proving the image has infinite rank. For the case of Bur_n, we do this with the assistance of a computer calculation.

math.GR↗
arXiv2009

Small dilatation pseudo-Anosovs and 3-manifolds

The main result of this paper is a universal finiteness theorem for the set of all small dilatation pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms, ranging over all surfaces. More precisely, we consider pseudo-Anosovs F:S to S with |chi(S)| log(lambda(F)) bounded above by some constant, and we prove that, after puncturing the surfaces at the singular points of the stable foliations, the resulting set of mapping tori is finite. Said differently, there is a finite set of fibered hyperbolic 3-manifolds so that all small dilatation pseudo-Anosovs occur as the monodromy of a Dehn filling on one of the 3-manifolds in the finite list, where the filling is on the boundary slope of a fiber.

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arXiv2008

Group actions and Helly's theorem

We describe a connection between the combinatorics of generators for certain groups and the combinatorics of Helly's 1913 theorem on convex sets. We use this connection to prove fixed point theorems for actions of these groups on nonpositively curved metric spaces. These results are encode d in a property that we introduce called ``property $\FA_r$'', which reduces to Serre's property $\FA$ when $r=1$. The method applies to $S$-arithmetic groups in higher $\Q$-rank, to simplex reflection groups (including some non-arithmetic ones), and to higher rank Chevalley groups over polynomial and other rings (for example $\SL_n(\Z[x_1,..., x_d]), n>2$).

math.GR↗
arXiv2007

The Casson invariant and the word metric on the Torelli group

We bound the value of the Casson invariant of any integral homology 3-sphere $M$ by a constant times the distance-squared to the identity, measured in any word metric on the Torelli group $\T$, of the element of $\T$ associated to any Heegaard splitting of $M$. We construct examples which show this bound is asymptotically sharp.

math.GT↗
arXiv2007

The lower central series and pseudo-Anosov dilatations

The theme of this paper is that algebraic complexity implies dynamical complexity for pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms of a closed surface S_g of genus g. Penner proved that the logarithm of the minimal dilatation for a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism of S_g tends to zero at the rate 1/g. We consider here the smallest dilatation of any pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism of S_g acting trivially on Gamma/Gamma_k, the quotient of Gamma = pi_1(S_g) by the k-th term of its lower central series, k > 0. In contrast to Penner's asymptotics, we prove that this minimal dilatation is bounded above and below, independently of g, with bounds tending to infinity with k. For example, in the case of the Torelli group I(S_g), we prove that L(I(S_g)), the logarithm of the minimal dilatation in I(S_g), satisfies .197 < L(I(S_g))< 4.127. In contrast, we find pseudo-Anosov mapping classes acting trivially on Gamma/Gamma_k whose asymptotic translation lengths on the complex of curves tend to 0 as g tends toward infinity.

math.GT↗
arXiv2007

Commensurations of Out(F_n)

Let $\Out(F_n)$ denote the outer automorphism group of the free group $F_n$ with $n>3$. We prove that for any finite index subgroup $Γ<\Out(F_n)$, the group $\Aut(Γ)$ is isomorphic to the normalizer of $Γ$ in $\Out(F_n)$. We prove that $Γ$ is {\em co-Hopfian} : every injective homomorphism $Γ\to Γ$ is surjective. Finally, we prove that the abstract commensurator $\Comm(\Out(F_n))$ is isomorphic to $\Out(F_n)$.

math.GR↗
arXiv2007

Isometries, rigidity, and universal covers

We classify all closed, aspherical Riemannian manifolds M whose universal cover has indiscrete isometry group. One sample application is the theorem that any such M with word-hyperbolic fundamental group must be isometric to a negatively curved, locally symmetric manifold. Another application is the classification of all contractible Riemannian manifolds covering both compact and (noncompact, complete) finite volume manifold. There are also applications to the Hopf Conjecture, a new proof of Kazhdan's Conjecture (Frankel's Theorem) in complex geometry, etc. Ideas in the proof come from Lie theory, the homological theory of transformation groups, harmonic maps, and large-scale geometry. An extension to the non-aspherical case is also given.

math.DG↗
arXiv2006

Some problems on mapping class groups and moduli space

This paper presents a number of problems about mapping class groups and moduli space. The paper will appear in the book "Problems on Mapping Class Groups and Related Topics", ed. by B. Farb, Proc. Symp. Pure Math. series, Amer. Math. Soc.

math.GT↗
arXiv2006

Separability of Solvable Subgroups in Linear Groups

Let G be a finitely generated linear group over a field of characteristic 0. Suppose that every solvable subgroup of G is polycyclic. Then the claim is made that any solvable subgroup of G is separable. This is proven for G=SL_n(Z). However, the proof of the main theorem in section 4 is incomplete.

math.GR↗
arXiv2006

The Birman-Craggs-Johnson homomorphism and abelian cycles in the Torelli group

In the 1970s, Birman-Craggs-Johnson used Rochlin's invariant for homology 3-spheres to construct a remarkable surjective homomorphism sigma:I_{g,1}->B_3, where I_{g,1} is the Torelli group and B_3 is a certain F_2-vector space of Boolean (square-free) polynomials. By pulling back cohomology classes and evaluating them on abelian cycles, we construct 16g^4 + O(g^3) dimensions worth of nontrivial elements of H^2(I_{g,1}, F_2) which cannot be detected rationally. These classes in fact restrict to nontrivial classes in the cohomology of the subgroup K_{g,1} < I_{g,1} generated by Dehn twists about separating curves. We also use the ``Casson-Morita algebra'' and Morita's integral lift of the Birman-Craggs-Johnson map restricted to K_{g,1} to give the same lower bound on H^2(K_{g,1},Z).

math.GT↗