Mehmetcik Pamuk: Long Factorizations in Mapping Class Group

 
Abstract: For a compact connected oriented surface of genus g with boundary, we consider positive factorizations of the Dehn twist about the boundary. We study the problem whether or not there is an upper bound for the number of positive Dehn twists in such a factorization. 
As time permits, we discuss the applications of our results to 4-manifolds.