arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Bruno P. Zimmermann.
The symplectic group Sp(2g,Z) is a subgroup of the linear group SL(2g,Z) and admits a faithful action on the sphere S^(2g-1), induced from its linear action on Euclidean space R^(2g). Generalizing corresponding results for linear groups, we show that, if m < 2g-1 and g > 2, any continuous action of Sp(2g,Z) on a homology m-sphere, and in particular on S^m, is trivial.
The group SL(n,Z) admits a smooth faithful action on the (n-1)-sphere S^(n-1), induced from its linear action on euclidean space R^n. We show that, if m < n-1 and n > 2, any smooth action of SL(n,Z) on a mod 2 homology m-sphere, and in particular on the m-sphere S^m, is trivial.
We show that, for any prime p, a knot K in the 3-sphere is determined by its p-fold cyclic unbranched covering. We also investigate when the m-fold cyclic unbranched covering of a knot coincides with the n-fold cyclic unbranched covering of another knot, for different coprime integers m and n.
We prove that the minimal nontrivial finite quotient group of the mapping class group M_g of a closed orientable surface of genus g is the symplectic group PSp(2g,Z_2), for g = 3 and 4 (this might remain true, however, for arbitrary genus g > 2). We discuss also some results for arbitrary genus g.
We discuss the possibility of lifting finite subgroups, and in particular finite cyclic subgroups, with respect to the canonical projections between automorphism and outer automorphism groups of free groups, surface groups and their abelianizations.