Split metacyclic actions on surfaces

Abstract: Let $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$ be the mapping class group of the closed orientable surface $S_g$ of genus $g\geq 2$. In this paper, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions under which two torsion elements in $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$ will have conjugates that generate a finite split non-abelian metacyclic subgroup of $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$. As applications of the main result, we give a complete characterization of the finite dihedral and the generalized quaternionic subgroups of $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$ up to a certain equivalence that we will call weak conjugacy. Furthermore, we show that any finite-order mapping class whose corresponding orbifold is a sphere, has a conjugate that lifts under certain finite-sheeted regular cyclic covers of $S_g$. Moreover, for $g \geq 5$, we show the existence of an infinite dihedral subgroup of $\mathrm{Mod}(S_g)$ that is generated by an involution and a root of a bounding pair map of degree $3$. Finally, we provide a complete classification of the weak conjugacy classes of the non-abelian finite split metacyclic subgroups of $\mathrm{Mod}(S_3)$ and $\mathrm{Mod}(S_5)$. We also describe nontrivial geometric realizations of some of these actions.