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Thomas Koberda

Publications and source records attributed to Thomas Koberda.

69 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
arXiv2012

An obstruction to embedding right-angled Artin groups in mapping class groups

For every orientable surface of finite negative Euler characteristic, we find a right-angled Artin group of cohomological dimension two which does not embed into the associated mapping class group. For a right-angled Artin group on a graph $\gam$ to embed into the mapping class group of a surface $S$, we show that the chromatic number of $\gam$ cannot exceed the chromatic number of the clique graph of the curve graph $\mathcal{C}(S)$. Thus, the chromatic number of $\gam$ is a global obstruction to embedding the right-angled Artin group $A(\gam)$ into the mapping class group $\Mod(S)$.

math.GT↗
arXiv2012

Alexander varieties and largeness of finitely presented groups

Let X be a finite CW complex. We show that the fundamental group of X is large if and only if there is a finite cover Y of X and a sequence of finite abelian covers \{Y_N\} of Y which satisfy b_1(Y_N)\geq N. We give some applications of this result to the study of hyperbolic 3--manifolds, mapping classes of surfaces and combinatorial group theory.

math.GR↗
arXiv2012

Right-angled Artin groups and a generalized isomorphism problem for finitely generated subgroups of mapping class groups

Consider the mapping class group $\Mod_{g,p}$ of a surface $Σ_{g,p}$ of genus $g$ with $p$ punctures, and a finite collection $\{f_1,...,f_k\}$ of mapping classes, each of which is either a Dehn twist about a simple closed curve or a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism supported on a connected subsurface. In this paper we prove that for all sufficiently large $N$, the mapping classes $\{f_1^N,...,f_k^N\}$ generate a right-angled Artin group. The right-angled Artin group which they generate can be determined from the combinatorial topology of the mapping classes themselves. When $\{f_1,...,f_k\}$ are arbitrary mapping classes, we show that sufficiently large powers of these mapping classes generate a group which embeds in a right-angled Artin group in a controlled way. We establish some analogous results for real and complex hyperbolic manifolds. We also discuss the unsolvability of the isomorphism problem for finitely generated subgroups of $\Mod_{g,p}$, and prove that the isomorphism problem for right-angled Artin groups is solvable. We thus characterize the isomorphism type of many naturally occurring subgroups of $\Mod_{g,p}$.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Faithful actions of automorphisms on the space of orderings of a group

In this article we study the space of left- and bi-invariant orderings on a torsion-free nilpotent group $G$. We will show that generally the set of such orderings is equipped with a faithful action of the automorphism group of $G$. We prove a result which allows us to establish the same conclusion when $G$ is assumed to be merely residually torsion-free nilpotent. In particular, we obtain faithful actions of mapping class groups of surfaces. We will draw connections between the structure of orderings on residually torsion-free nilpotent, hyperbolic groups and their Gromov boundaries, and we show that in those cases a faithful $\Aut(G)$-action on the boundary is equivalent to a faithful $\Aut(G)$ action on the space of left--invariant orderings.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Embedability between right-angled Artin groups

In this article we study the right-angled Artin subgroups of a given right-angled Artin group. Starting with a graph $\gam$, we produce a new graph through a purely combinatorial procedure, and call it the extension graph $\gam^e$ of $\gam$. We produce a second graph $\gam^e_k$, the clique graph of $\gam^e$, by adding extra vertices for each complete subgraph of $\gam^e$. We prove that each finite induced subgraph $Λ$ of $\gam^e$ gives rise to an inclusion $A(Λ)\to A(\gam)$. Conversely, we show that if there is an inclusion $A(Λ)\to A(\gam)$ then $Λ$ is an induced subgraph of $\gam^e_k$. These results have a number of corollaries. Let $P_4$ denote the path on four vertices and let $C_n$ denote the cycle of length $n$. We prove that $A(P_4)$ embeds in $A(\gam)$ if and only if $P_4$ is an induced subgraph of $\gam$. We prove that if $F$ is any finite forest then $A(F)$ embeds in $A(P_4)$. We recover the first author's result on co--contraction of graphs and prove that if $\gam$ has no triangles and $A(\gam)$ contains a copy of $A(C_n)$ for some $n\geq 5$, then $\gam$ contains a copy of $C_m$ for some $5\le m\le n$. We also recover Kambites' Theorem, which asserts that if $A(C_4)$ embeds in $A(\gam)$ then $\gam$ contains an induced square. Finally, we determine precisely when there is an inclusion $A(C_m)\to A(C_n)$ and show that there is no "universal" two--dimensional right-angled Artin group.

math.GR↗
arXiv2011

Teichmüller polynomials, Alexander polynomials and finite covers of surfaces

In this note we explore a connection between finite covers of surfaces and the Teichmüller polynomial of a fibered face of a hyperbolic 3--manifold. We consider the action of a homological pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism $ψ$ on the homology groups of a class of finite abelian covers of a surface $Σ_{g,n}$. Eigenspaces of the deck group actions on these covers are naturally parametrized by rational points on a torus. We show that away from the trivial eigenspace, the spectrum of the action of $ψ$ on these eigenspaces is bounded away from the dilatation of $ψ$. We show that the action $ψ$ on these eigenspaces is governed by the Teichmüller polynomial.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

The action of mapping classes on nilpotent covers of surfaces

Let $Σ$ be a surface whose interior admits a hyperbolic structure of finite volume. In this paper, we show that any infinite order mapping class acts with infinite order on the homology of some universal $k$--step nilpotent cover of $Σ$. We show that a Torelli mapping class either acts with infinite order on the homology of a finite abelian cover, or the suspension of the mapping class is a 3--manifold whose fundamental group has positive homology gradient. In the latter case, it follows that the suspended 3--manifold has a large fundamental group. It follows that every element of the Magnus kernel suspends to give a 3--manifold with a large fundamental group.

math.GT↗
arXiv2011

Entropy of automorphisms, homology and the intrinsic polynomial structure of nilpotent groups

We study the word length entropy of automorphisms of residually nilpotent groups, and how the entropy of such group automorphisms relates to the entropy of induced automorphisms on various nilpotent quotients. We show that much like the structure of a nilpotent group is dictated to a large degree by its abelianization, the entropy of an automorphism of a nilpotent group is dictated by its entropy on the abelianization. We give some applications to the study of pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms of surfaces. In particular, we show that if $ψ$ is a non--homological pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism of a surface $Σ$ with dilatation $K$ and $N$ is any nilpotent quotient of any finite index characteristic subgroup of $π_1(Σ)$ to which $ψ$ descends, the entropy of $ψ$ viewed as an automorphism of $N$ is bounded away from $K$. This answers a question of D. Sullivan.

math.GR↗
arXiv2010

Asymptotic linearity of the mapping class group and a homological version of the Nielsen-Thurston classification

We study the action of the mapping class group on the real homology of finite covers of a topological surface. We use the homological representation of the mapping class to construct a faithful infinite-dimensional representation of the mapping class group. We show that this representation detects the Nielsen-Thurston classification of each mapping class. We then discuss some examples that occur in the theory of braid groups and develop an analogous theory for automorphisms of free groups. We close with some open problems.

math.GT↗
arXiv2010

On some of the residual properties of finitely generated nilpotent groups

In recent years, the RFRS condition has been used to analyze virtual fibering in 3-manifold topology. Agol's work shows that any 3-manifold with zero Euler characteristic satisfying the RFRS condition on its fundamental group virtually fibers over the circle. In this note we will show that a finitely generated nilpotent group is either virtually abelian or is not virtually RFRS, a result which may be of independent interest though not directly applicable to 3-manifold topology. As a corollary, we deduce that any RFRS group cannot contain a nonabelian torsion-free nilpotent group. This result also illustrates some of the interplay between residual torsion-free nilpotence and the RFRS condition.

math.GR↗
arXiv2010

Residual properties of 3-manifold groups I: Fibered and hyperbolic 3-manifolds

Let $p$ be a prime. In this paper, we classify the geometric 3-manifolds whose fundamental groups are virtually residually $p$. Let $M=M^3$ be a virtually fibered 3-manifold. It is well-known that $G=π_1(M)$ is residually solvable and even residually finite solvable. We prove that $G$ is always virtually residually $p$. Using recent work of Wise, we prove that every hyperbolic 3-manifold is either closed or virtually fibered and hence has a virtually residually $p$ fundamental group. We give some generalizations to pro-$p$ completions of groups, mapping class groups, residually torsion-free nilpotent 3-manifold groups and central extensions of residually $p$ groups.

math.GT↗
arXiv2009

Representations of Galois Groups on the Homology of Surfaces

Let $p:Σ'\toΣ$ be a finite Galois cover, possibly branched, with Galois group $G$. We are interested in the structure of the cohomology of $Σ'$ as a module over $G$. We treat the cases of branched and unbranched covers separately. In the case of branched covers, we give a complete classification of possible module structures of $H_1(Σ',\bC)$. In the unbranched case, we algebro-geometrically realize the representation of $G$ on holomorphic 1-forms on $Σ'$ as functions on unions of $G$-torsors. We also explicitly realize these representations for certain branched covers of hyperelliptic curves. We give some applications to the study of pseudo-Anosov homeomorphisms of surfaces and representation theory of the mapping class group.

math.GT↗
arXiv2009

On ergodic transformations that are both weakly mixing and uniformly rigid

We examine some of the properties of uniformly rigid transformations, and analyze the compatibility of uniform rigidity and (measurable) weak mixing along with some of their asymptotic convergence properties. We show that on Cantor space, there does not exist a finite measure-preserving, totally ergodic, uniformly rigid transformation. We briefly discuss general group actions and show that (measurable) weak mixing and uniform rigidity can coexist in a more general setting.

math.DS↗
arXiv2006

Measurable Sensitivity

We introduce the notion of measurable sensitivity, a measure-theoretic version of the condition of sensitive dependence on initial conditions. It is a consequence of light mixing, implies a transformation has only finitely many eigenvalues, and does not exist in the infinite measure-preserving case. Unlike the traditional notion of sensitive dependence, measurable sensitivity carries up to measure-theoretic isomorphism, thus ignoring the behavior of the function on null sets and eliminating dependence on the choice of metric.

math.DS↗