Effective Generation of Right-Angled Artin Groups in Mapping Class Groups

Abstract

We show that given a collection $X=\{f_1$, \ldots , $f_m\}$ of pure mapping classes on a surface $S$, there is an explicit constant N, depending only on $X$, such that their Nth powers $\{f_1^N$, \ldots , $f_m^N\}$ generate the expected right-angled Artin subgroup of MCG($S$). Moreover, we show that these subgroups are undistorted.