Let $X$ be an infinite Riemann surface equipped with its conformal hyperbolic metric such that the action of the covering group $π_1(X)$ on $\tilde{X}$ is of the first kind-i.e., the surface $X$ is equal to its convex core. We first prove that any geodesic lamination on $X$ is nowhere dense. Given a fixed geodesic pants decomposition of $X$ we define a family of train tracks on $X$ such that any geodesic lamination of $X$ is weakly carried by at least one train track. Then we parametrize all measured laminations on $X$ carried by a train track by the corresponding edge weight systems on the train track. Furthermore, we show that the weak* topology on the measured laminations weakly carried by a train track corresponds to a pointwise (weak) convergence of the edge weight systems.
When one considers the Teichmüller space $T(X)$ of the Riemann surface $X$, it is natural to restrict the attention to the space $ML_b(X)$ of bounded measured laminations. When $X$ has a bounded geometry, we prove that a measured lamination weakly carried by a train track is bounded if and only if the corresponding edge weight system has a finite supremum norm. The Teichmüller space considerations lead to a natural uniform weak* topology on the space of bounded measured laminations on $X$. We prove that the correspondence between bounded measured laminations weakly carried by a train track and their edge weight systems is a homeomorphism when $ML_b(X)$ is equipped with the uniform weak* topology and the edge weight system is equipped with the topology induced by the supremum norm.
We generalize H. Seifert's algorithm for finding a Seifert surface for a knot or link. The generalization applies to "framed oriented measured lamination links." For knots, a Seifert surface determines a unique framing. In our setting, we analyze the set of framed lamination links which bound Seifert laminations and are carried by an $S^1$-fibered tube neighborhood of an oriented train track embedded in a 3-manifold.
Let $\mathcal{L}$ be a measured geodesic lamination on a complete hyperbolic surface of finite area. Assuming $\mathcal{L}$ is not a multicurve, our main result establishes the existence of a geodesic ray which has finite intersection number with $\mathcal{L}$ but is not asymptotic to any leaf of $\mathcal{L}$ nor eventually disjoint from $\mathcal{L}$. In fact, we show that the endpoints of such rays, when lifted to the universal cover $\mathbb{H}^2$ of $X$, give an uncountable set $h\tilde{\mathcal{L}}\subset S^1$ (called the halo of $\tilde{\mathcal{L}}$), which is disjoint from the endpoin…
We consider the space of geodesic laminations on a surface, endowed with the Hausdorff metric d_H and with a variation of this metric called the d_log metric. We compute and/or estimate the Hausdorff dimensions of these two metrics. We also relate these two metrics to another metric which is combinatorially defined in terms of train tracks.
The loop graph of an infinite type surface is an infinite diameter hyperbolic graph first studied in detail by Juliette Bavard. An important open problem in the study of infinite type surfaces is to describe the boundary of the loop graph as a space of geodesic laminations. We approach this problem by constructing the first examples of 2-filling rays on infinite type surfaces. Such rays accumulate onto geodesic laminations which are in some sense filling, but without strong enough properties to correspond to points in the boundary of the loop graph. We give multiple constructions using both a …
The concepts of train track was introduced by W. P. Thurston to study the measured foliations/laminations and the pseudo-Anosov mapping classes on a surface. In this paper, we translate some concepts of train tracks into the language of cluster algebras using the Goncharov--Shen's potential function [GS15]. Through this translation, we prove the sign stability [IK21] of the general pseudo-Anosov mapping classes.
We give a combinatorial proof of an unpublished result of E. Klarreich: The Gromov boundary of the complex of curves of a non-exceptional oriented surface S of finite type can naturally be identified with the space of minimal geodesic laminations on S which fill up S, equipped with a coarse Hausdorff topology.
We show that the subsurface projection of a train track splitting sequence is an unparameterized quasi-geodesic in the curve complex of the subsurface. For the proof we introduce induced tracks, efficient position, and wide curves. This result is an important step in the proof that the disk complex is Gromov hyperbolic. As another application we show that train track sliding and splitting sequences give quasi-geodesics in the train track graph, generalizing a result of Hamenstaedt [Invent. Math.].
We define "fat" train tracks and use them to give a combinatorial criterion for the Hempel distance of Heegaard splittings for closed orientable 3-manifolds. We apply this criterion to 3-manifolds obtained from surgery on knots in the three sphere.
We prove that for every P there is a bound B depending only on P so that the mapping torus of every P--small irreducible train-track map can be obtained by surgery from one of B mapping tori. We show that given an integer P>0 there is a bound $M$ depending only on P, so that there exists a presentation of the fundamental group of the mapping torus of a P--small irreducible train-track map with less than M generators and M relations.
Let $S_{g,p}$ denote the genus $g$ orientable surface with $p$ punctures. We show that nested train track sequences constitute $O((g,p)^{2})$-quasiconvex subsets of the curve graph, effectivizing a theorem of Masur and Minsky. As a consequence, the genus $g$ disk set is $O(g^{2})$-quasiconvex. We also show that splitting and sliding sequences of birecurrent train tracks project to $O((g,p)^{2})$-unparameterized quasi-geodesics in the curve graph of any essential subsurface, an effective version of a theorem of Masur, Mosher, and Schleimer.
This note gives a brief survey of the minimum dilatation problem for pseudo-Anosov mapping classes, and the first explicit train track description of an infinite family of pseudo-Anosov mapping classes with orientable stable foliations and the conjectural minimum dilatation for closed surfaces of even genus $g \ge 2$.
In this paper we develop the metric theory for the outer space of a free product of groups. This generalizes the theory of the outer space of a free group, and includes its relative versions. The outer space of a free product is made of $G$-trees with possibly non-trivial vertex stabilisers. The strategies are the same as in the classical case, with some technicalities arising from the presence of infinite-valence vertices. In particular, we describe the Lipschitz metric and show how to compute it; we prove the existence of optimal maps; we describe geodesics represented by folding paths. We s…
In this paper we develop the theory of train track maps on graphs of groups. Expanding a definition of Bass, we define a notion of a map of a graph of groups, and of a homotopy equivalence. We prove that under one of two technical hypotheses, any homotopy equivalence of a graph of groups may be represented by a relative train track map. The first applies in particular to graphs of groups with finite edge groups, while the second applies in particular to certain generalized Baumslag-Solitar groups.
Global results are proved about the way in which Boyland's forcing partial order organizes a set of braid types: those of periodic orbits of Smale's horseshoe map for which the associated train track is a star. This is a special case of a conjecture introduced in a previous paper, which claims that forcing organizes all horseshoe braid types into linearly ordered families which are, in turn, parameterized by homoclinic orbits to the fixed point of code 0.
Any endomorphism of a finitely generated free group naturally descends to an injective endomorphism of its stable quotient. In this paper, we prove a geometric incarnation of this phenomenon: namely, that every expanding irreducible train track map inducing an endomorphism of the fundamental group gives rise to an expanding irreducible train track representative of the injective endomorphism of the stable quotient. As an application, we prove that the property of having fully irreducible monodromy for a splitting of a hyperbolic free-by-cyclic group depends only on the component of the BNS-inv…
Several known results, by Rivin, Calegari-Maher and Sisto, show that an element $ϕ_n\in Out(F_r)$, obtained after $n$ steps of a simple random walk on $Out(F_r)$, is fully irreducible with probability tending to 1 as $n\to\infty$. In this paper we construct a natural "train-track directed" random walk $\mathcal W$ on $Out(F_r)$ (where $r\ge 3$). We show that, for the element $ϕ_n\in Out(F_r)$, obtained after $n$ steps of this random walk, with asymptotically positive probability the element $ϕ_n$ has the following properties: $ϕ_n$ is an ageometric fully irreducible, which admits a train-track…
