Prym representations of the handlebody group

Abstract

Let S be an oriented, closed surface of genus g. The mapping class group of S is the group of orientation preserving homeomorphisms of S modulo isotopy. In 1997, Looijenga introduced the Prym representations, which are virtual representations of the mapping class group that depend on a finite, abelian group. Let V be a genus g handlebody with boundary S. The handlebody group is the subgroup of those mapping classes of S that extend over V. The twist group is the subgroup of the handlebody group generated by twists about meridians. Here, we restrict the Prym representations to the handlebody group and further to the twist group. We determine the image of the representations in the cyclic case.