Conjugacy classes of big mapping class groups

Abstract

We describe the topological behavior of the conjugacy action of the mapping class group of an orientable infinite-type surface $\Sigma$ on itself. Our main results are: (1) All conjugacy classes of $MCG(\Sigma )$ are meager for every $\Sigma$, (2) $MCG(\Sigma )$ has a somewhere dense conjugacy class if and only if $\Sigma$ has at most two maximal ends and no non-displaceable finite-type subsurfaces, (3) $MCG(\Sigma )$ has a dense conjugacy class if and only if $\Sigma$ has a unique maximal end and no non-displaceable finite-type subsurfaces. Our techniques are based on model-theoretic methods developed by Kechris, Rosendal and Truss.

v3. Corrected version after revision. To appear in J. London Math. Soc