We construct a minimal generating set of the level 2 mapping class group of a nonorientable surface of genus $g$, and determine its abelianization for $gge4$.
We calculate the abelianizations of the level $L$ subgroup of the genus $g$ mapping class group and the level $L$ congruence subgroup of the $2g times 2g$ symplectic group for $L$ odd and $g geq 3$.
Let $M_n$ be the connect sum of $n$ copies of $S^2 times S^1$. A classical theorem of Laudenbach says that the mapping class group $text{Mod}(M_n)$ is an extension of $text{Out}(F_n)$ by a group $(mathbb{Z}/2)^n$ generated by sphere twists. We prove that this extension splits, so $text{Mod}(M_n)$ is the semidirect product of $text{Out}(F_n)$ by $(mathbb{Z}/2)^n$, which $text{Out}(F_n)$ acts on via the dual of the natural surjection $text{Out}(F_n) rightarrow text{GL}_n(mathbb{Z}/2)$. Our splitting takes $text{Out}(F_n)$ to the subgroup of $text{Mod}(M_n)$ consisting of mapping classes that fix the homotopy class of a trivialization of the tangent bundle of $M_n$. Our techniques also simplify various aspects of Laudenbachs original proof, including the identification of the twist subgroup with $(mathbb{Z}/2)^n$.
For some $g geq 3$, let $Gamma$ be a finite index subgroup of the mapping class group of a genus $g$ surface (possibly with boundary components and punctures). An old conjecture of Ivanov says that the abelianization of $Gamma$ should be finite. In this note, we prove two theorems supporting this conjecture. For the first, let $T_x$ denote the Dehn twist about a simple closed curve $x$. For some $n geq 1$, we have $T_x^n in Gamma$. We prove that $T_x^n$ is torsion in the abelianization of $Gamma$. Our second result shows that the abelianization of $Gamma$ is finite if $Gamma$ contains a large chunk (in a certain technical sense) of the Johnson kernel, that is, the subgroup of the mapping class group generated by twists about separating curves. This generalizes work of Hain and Boggi.
We give completely combinatorial proofs of the main results of [3] using polygons. Namely, we prove that the mapping class group of a surface with boundary acts faithfully on a finitely-generated linear category. Along the way we prove some foundational results regarding the relevant objects from bordered Heegaard Floer homology,
We prove that various subgroups of the mapping class group $Mod(Sigma)$ of a surface $Sigma$ are at least exponentially distorted. Examples include the Torelli group (answering a question of Hamenstadt), the point-pushing and surface braid subgroups, and the Lagrangian subgroup. Our techniques include a method to compute lower bounds on distortion via representation theory and an extension of Johnson theory to arbitrary subgroups of $H_1(Sigma;mathbb{Z})$.