The Mapping Class Group of a Shift of Finite Type
Abstract
We study the mapping class group of a nontrivial irreducible shift of finite type: the group of flow equivalences of its mapping torus modulo isotopy. This group plays for flow equivalence the role that the automorphism group plays for conjugacy. It is countable; not residually finite; acts faithfully (and n-transitively, for all n) by permutations on the set of circles in the mapping torus; has solvable word problem and trivial center; etc. There are many open problems.
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