Alternating and symmetric actions on surfaces

Abstract

Let $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$ be the mapping class group of the closed orientable surface of genus $g \geq 2$. In this article, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which two torsion elements in $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$ will have conjugates that generate a finite symmetric or an alternating subgroup of $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$. Furthermore, we characterize when an involution would lift under the branched cover induced by an alternating action on $S_g$. Moreover, up to conjugacy, we derive conditions under which a given periodic mapping class is contained in a symmetric or an alternating subgroup of $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$. In particular, we show that symmetric or alternating subgroups can not contain irreducible mapping classes and hyperelliptic involutions. Finally, we classify the symmetric and alternating actions on $S_{10}$ and $S_{11}$ up to a certain equivalence we call weak conjugacy.