Automorphisms of Curve Complexes on Nonorientable Surfaces

Abstract

For a compact connected nonorientable surface N of genus g with n boundary components, we prove that the natural map from the mapping class group of N to the automorphism group of the curve complex of N is an isomorphism provided that g + n >= 5. We also prove that two curve complexes are isomorphic if and only if the underlying surfaces are diffeomorphic.