Searcharxiv⌕ Search

arXiv subjects

Matthew B. Day

Publications and source records attributed to Matthew B. Day.

17 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2023

A 3-skeleton for a classifying space for the symmetric group

We construct a 3-dimensional cell complex that is the 3-skeleton for an Eilenberg--MacLane classifying space for the symmetric group $\mathfrak{S}_n$. Our complex starts with the presentation for $\mathfrak{S}_n$ with $n-1$ adjacent transpositions with squaring, commuting, and braid relations, and adds seven classes of 3-cells that fill in certain 2-spheres bounded by these relations. We use a rewriting system and a combinatorial method of K. Brown to prove the correctness of our construction. Our main application is a computation of the second cohomology of $\mathfrak{S}_n$ in certain twisted coefficient modules; we use this computation in a companion paper to study splitting of extensions related to braid groups. As another application, we give a concrete description of the third homology of $\mathfrak{S}_n$ with untwisted coefficients in $\mathbb{Z}$.

math.GT↗
arXiv2023

Quotients of the braid group that are extensions of the symmetric group

We consider normal subgroups $N$ of the braid group $B_n$ such that the quotient $B_n/N$ is an extension of the symmetric group by an abelian group. We show that, if $n\geq 4$, then there are exactly 8 commensurability classes of such subgroups. We define a Specht subgroup to be a subgroup of this form that is maximal in its commensurability class. We give descriptions of the Specht subgroups in terms of winding numbers and in terms of infinite generating sets. The quotient of the pure braid group by a Specht subgroup is a module over the symmetric group. We show that the modules arising this way are closely related to Specht modules for the partitions $(n-1,1)$ and $(n-2,2)$, working over the integers. We compute the second cohomology of the symmetric group with coefficients in both of these Specht modules, working over an arbitrary commutative ring. Finally, we determine which of the extensions of the symmetric group arising from Specht subgroups are split extensions.

math.GR↗
arXiv2020

Calculating the virtual cohomological dimension of the automorphism group of a RAAG

We describe an algorithm to find the virtual cohomological dimension of the automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group. The algorithm works in the relative setting; in particular it also applies to untwisted automorphism groups and basis-conjugating automorphism groups. The main new tool is the construction of free abelian subgroups of certain Fouxe-Rabinovitch groups of rank equal to their virtual cohomological dimension, generalizing a result of Meucci in the setting of free groups.

math.GR↗
arXiv2019

Relative automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups

We study the outer automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ with finite defining graph $Γ$. We construct a subnormal series for $Out(A_Γ)$ such that each consecutive quotient is either finite, free-abelian, $GL(n,\mathbb{Z})$, or a Fouxe-Rabinovitch group. The last two types act respectively on a symmetric space or a deformation space of trees, so that there is a geometric way of studying each piece. As a consequence we prove that the group $Out(A_Γ)$ is type VF (it has a finite index subgroup with a finite classifying space). The main technical work is a study of relative outer automorphism groups of RAAGs and their restriction homomorphisms, refining work of Charney, Crisp, and Vogtmann. We show that the images and kernels of restriction homomorphisms are always simpler examples of relative outer automorphism groups of RAAGs. We also give generators for relative automorphism groups of RAAGs, in the style of Laurence's theorem.

math.GR↗
arXiv2016

On the second homology group of the Torelli subgroup of Aut(F_n)

Let IA_n be the Torelli subgroup of Aut(F_n). We give an explicit finite set of generators for H_2(IA_n) as a GL_n(Z)-module. Corollaries include a version of surjective representation stability for H_2(IA_n), the vanishing of the GL_n(Z)-coinvariants of H_2(IA_n), and the vanishing of the second rational homology group of the level l congruence subgroup of Aut(F_n). Our generating set is derived from a new group presentation for IA_n which is infinite but which has a simple recursive form.

math.GT↗
arXiv2016

A Birman exact sequence for the Torelli subgroup of Aut(F_n)

We develop an analogue of the Birman exact sequence for the Torelli subgroup of Aut(F_n). This builds on earlier work of the authors who studied an analogue of the Birman exact sequence for the entire group Aut(F_n). These results play an important role in the authors' recent work on the second homology group of the Torelli group.

math.GT↗
arXiv2013

Full-featured peak reduction in right-angled Artin groups

We prove a new version of the classical peak-reduction theorem for automorphisms of free groups in the setting of right-angled Artin groups. We use this peak-reduction theorem to prove two important corollaries about the action of the automorphism group of a right-angled Artin group $A_Γ$ on the set of $k$-tuples of conjugacy classes from $A_Γ$: orbit membership is decidable, and stabilizers are finitely presentable. Further, we explain procedures for checking orbit membership and building presentations of stabilizers. This improves on a previous result of the author's. We overcome a technical difficulty from the previous work by considering infinite generating sets for the automorphism groups. The method also involves a variation on the Hermite normal form for matrices.

math.GR↗
arXiv2013

The complex of partial bases for F_n and finite generation of the Torelli subgroup of Aut(F_n)

We study the complex of partial bases of a free group, which is an analogue for $\Aut(F_n)$ of the curve complex for the mapping class group. We prove that it is connected and simply connected, and we also prove that its quotient by the Torelli subgroup of $\Aut(F_n)$ is highly connected. Using these results, we give a new, topological proof of a theorem of Magnus that asserts that the Torelli subgroup of $\Aut(F_n)$ is finitely generated.

math.GR↗
arXiv2012

A Birman exact sequence for Aut(F_n)

The Birman exact sequence describes the effect on the mapping class group of a surface with boundary of gluing discs to the boundary components. We construct an analogous exact sequence for the automorphism group of a free group. For the mapping class group, the kernel of the Birman exact sequence is a surface braid group. We prove that in the context of the automorphism group of a free group, the natural kernel is finitely generated. However, it is not finitely presentable; indeed, we prove that its second rational homology group has infinite rank by constructing an explicit infinite collection of linearly independent abelian cycles. We also determine the abelianization of our kernel and build a simple infinite presentation for it. The key to many of our proofs are several new generalizations of the Johnson homomorphisms.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Finiteness of outer automorphism groups of random right-angled Artin groups

We consider the outer automorphism group Out(A_Gamma) of the right-angled Artin group A_Gamma of a random graph Gamma on n vertices in the Erdos--Renyi model. We show that the functions (log(n)+log(log(n)))/n and 1-(log(n)+log(log(n)))/n bound the range of edge probability functions for which Out(A_Gamma) is finite: if the probability of an edge in Gamma is strictly between these functions as n grows, then asymptotically Out(A_Gamma) is almost surely finite, and if the edge probability is strictly outside of both of these functions, then asymptotically Out(A_Gamma) is almost surely infinite. This sharpens results of Ruth Charney and Michael Farber from their preprint "Random groups arising as graph products", arXiv:1006.3378v1.

math.GR↗
arXiv2009

On solvable subgroups of automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups

For any right-angled Artin group, we show that its outer automorphism group contains either a finite-index nilpotent subgroup or a nonabelian free subgroup. This is a weak Tits alternative theorem. We find a criterion on the defining graph that determines which case holds. We also consider some examples of solvable subgroups, including one that is not virtually nilpotent and is embedded in a non-obvious way.

math.GR↗
arXiv2009

Extensions of Johnson's and Morita's homomorphisms that map to finitely generated abelian groups

We extend each higher Johnson homomorphism to a crossed homomorphism from the automorphism group of a finite-rank free group to a finite-rank abelian group. We also extend each Morita homomorphism to a crossed homomorphism from the mapping class group of once-bounded surface to a finite-rank abelian group. This improves on the author's previous results [Algebr. Geom. Topol. 7 (2007):1297-1326]. To prove the first result, we express the higher Johnson homomorphisms as coboundary maps in group cohomology. Our methods involve the topology of nilpotent homogeneous spaces and lattices in nilpotent Lie algebras. In particular, we develop a notion of the "polynomial straightening" of a singular homology chain in a nilpotent homogeneous space.

math.GT↗
arXiv2009

Extended flux maps on surfaces and the contracted Johnson homomorphism

On a closed symplectic surface Sigma of genus two or more, we give a new construction of an extended flux map (a crossed homomorphism from the symplectomorphism group Symp(Sigma) to the cohomology group H^1(Sigma;R) that extends the flux homomorphism). This construction uses the topology of the Jacobian of the surface and a correction factor related to the Johnson homomorphism. For surfaces of genus three or more, we give another new construction of an extended flux map using hyperbolic geometry.

math.GT↗
arXiv2008

Peak reduction and finite presentations for automorphism groups of right-angled Artin groups

We generalize the peak-reduction algorithm (Whitehead's theorem) for free groups to a theorem about a general right-angled Artin group A_Gamma. As an application, we find a finite presentation for the automorphism group Aut A_Gamma that generalizes McCool's presentation for the automorphism group of a finite rank free group. We also give consider a stronger generalization of peak-reduction, giving a counterexample and proving a special case.

math.GR↗
arXiv2008

Symplectic structures on right-angled Artin groups: between the mapping class group and the symplectic group

We define a family of groups that include the mapping class group of a genus g surface with one boundary component and the integral symplectic group Sp(2g,Z). We then prove that these groups are finitely generated. These groups, which we call mapping class groups over graphs, are indexed over labeled simplicial graphs with 2g vertices. The mapping class group over the graph Gamma is defined to be a subgroup of the automorphism group of the right-angled Artin group A_Gamma of Gamma. We also prove that the kernel of the map Aut A_Gamma to Aut H_1(A_Gamma) is finitely generated, generalizing a theorem of Magnus.

math.GR↗
arXiv2007

Extending Johnson's and Morita's homomorphisms to the mapping class group

We extend certain homomorphisms defined on the higher Torelli subgroups of the mapping class group to crossed homomorphisms defined on the entire mapping class group. In particular, for every $k\geq 2$, we construct a crossed homomorphism $ε_k$ which extends Morita's homomorphism $\tilde τ_k$ to the entire mapping class group. From this crossed homomorphism we also obtain a crossed homomorphism extending the $k$th Johnson homomorphism $τ_k$ to the mapping class group. D. Johnson and S. Morita obtained their respective homomorphisms by considering the action of the mapping class group on the nilpotent truncations of the surface group; our approach is to mimic Morita's construction topologically by using nilmanifolds associated to these truncations. This allows us to take the ranges of these crossed homomorphisms to be certain finite-dimensional real vector spaces associated to these nilmanifolds.

math.GT↗