The conjugacy problem for Dehn twist automorphisms of free groups

  • M. M. Cohen

    Cornell University, Ithaca, USA
  • M. Lustig

    Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

Abstract

A Dehn twist automorphism of a group is an automorphism which can be given (as specified below) in terms of a graph-of-groups decomposition of with infinite cyclic edge groups. The classic example is that of an automorphism of the fundamental group of a surface which is induced by a Dehn twist homeomorphism of the surface. For , a non-abelian free group of finite rank , a normal form for Dehn twist is developed, and it is shown that this can be used to solve the conjugacy problem for Dehn twist automorphisms of .

Cite this article

M. M. Cohen, M. Lustig, The conjugacy problem for Dehn twist automorphisms of free groups. Comment. Math. Helv. 74 (1999), no. 2, pp. 179–200

DOI 10.1007/S000140050085