Linearity of some low-complexity mapping class groups

Abstract

AbstractBy analyzing known presentations of the pure mapping groups of orientable surfaces of genus g with b boundary components and n punctures in the cases when {g=0} with b and n arbitrary, and when {g=1} and {b+n} is at most 3, we show that these groups are isomorphic to some groups related to the braid groups and the Artin group of type {D_{4}}. As a corollary, we conclude that the pure mapping class groups are linear in these cases.