Skip to main content
Log in

A simple presentation for the mapping class group of an orientable surface

  • Published:
Israel Journal of Mathematics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

LetF n.k be an orientable compact surface of genusn withk boundary components. For a suitable choice of 2n + 1 simple closed curves onF n,1 the corresponding Dehn twists generate bothM n,o andM n,1. A complete system of relations is determined for these generators and the presentations ofM n,0 andM n,1 obtained in this way are much simpler than the known presentations.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. P. Bergau and J. Mennicke,Über topologische Abbildungen der Bretzelflache vom Geschlecht 2, Math. Z.74 (1960), 414–435.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  2. J. Birman,Braids, links and mapping class groups, Ann. Math. Stud.82 (1975).

  3. J. Birman and H. Hilden,On mapping class groups of closed surfaces as covering spaces, inAdvances in the Theory of Riemann Surfaces, Ann. Math. Stud.66 (1971).

  4. E. Brieskorn and K. Saito,Artin Gruppen und Coxeter Gruppen, Invent. Math.17 (1972), 245–271.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  5. M. Dehn,Die Gruppe der Abbildungklassen, Acta Math.69 (1938), 135–206.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  6. J. Harer,The second homology group of the mapping class group of an orientable surface, to appear.

  7. A. Hatcher and W. Thurston,A presentation for the mapping class group of a closed orientable surface, Topology19 (1980), 221–237.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

  8. S. Humphries,Generators for the mapping class group, inTopology of Low-dimensional Manifolds, Lecture Notes in Mathematics722, Springer, Berlin, 1979, pp. 44–47.

    Google Scholar 

  9. W. B. R. Lickorish,A finite set of generators for the homeotopy group of a 2-manifold, Proc: Cambridge Philos. Soc.60 (1964), 769–778.

    Article  MATH  MathSciNet  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wajnryb, B. A simple presentation for the mapping class group of an orientable surface. Israel J. Math. 45, 157–174 (1983). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774014

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02774014

Keywords

Navigation