Homomorphisms from mapping class groups

Abstract

This paper concerns rigidity of the mapping class groups. We show that any homomorphism $\phi:{\rm Mod}_g\to {\rm Mod}_h$ between mapping class groups of closed orientable surfaces with distinct genera $g>h$ is trivial if $g\geq 3$ and has finite image for all $g\geq 1$. Some implications are drawn for more general homomorphs of these groups.