The goal of this paper is to give a group-theoretic proof of the congruence subgroup property for $Aut(F_2)$, the group of automorphisms of a free group on two generators. This result was first proved by Asada using techniques from anabelian geometry
, and our proof is, to a large extent, a translation of Asadas proof into group-theoretic language. This translation enables us to simplify many parts of Asadas original argument and prove a quantitative version of the congruence subgroup property for $Aut(F_2)$.
We prove that the cohomological dimension of the Torelli group for a closed connected orientable surface of genus g at least 2 is equal to 3g-5. This answers a question of Mess, who proved the lower bound and settled the case of g=2. We also find the
cohomological dimension of the Johnson kernel (the subgroup of the Torelli group generated by Dehn twists about separating curves) to be 2g-3. For g at least 2, we prove that the top dimensional homology of the Torelli group is infinitely generated. Finally, we give a new proof of the theorem of Mess that gives a precise description of the Torelli group in genus 2. The main tool is a new contractible complex, called the complex of cycles, on which the Torelli group acts.
