2009 Topology Seminar - 05

The outer automorphism group Out(F) of a free group F of finite rank shares many properties with the mapping class group of a surface, however the techniques for studying these groups are generally quite different. Analogues of the pseudo-Anosov elements of the mapping class group are the so-called fully irreducible automorphisms, which exhibit north-south dynamics on Culler-Vogtmann's Outer Space. We will explain a method for constructing these automorphisms and suggest why this construction should be useful. This is joint work with Matt Clay (University of Oklahoma).