Harmonic mappings into Teichmuller spaces appear in the study of manifolds which are fibrations whose fibers are Riemann surfaces. In this article we will study the existence and uniquenesses questions of harmonic mappings into Teichmuller spaces, as well as some local and global behavior of the harmonic images induced by the Weil-Petersson geometry of Teichmuller spaces.
We construct a Weil-Petersson geodesic completion of Teichmuller space through the formalism of Coxeter complex with the Teichmuller space as its non-linear non-homogeneous fundamental domain. We show that the metric and geodesic completions both satisfy a finite rank property, demonstrating a similarity with the non-compact symmetric spaces of semi-simple Lie groups.
The sectional curvature of the Weil-Petersson metric on Teichmuller space is known to be negative. We show that this Weil-Petersson sectional curvature is not pinched from above by any negative constants, i.e., there is no negative upper bound.
In this paper, we study the asymptotic geometry of Teichmuller space of Riemann surfaces and give bounds on the Weil-Petersson sectional curvature of Teichmuller space, in terms of the length of the shortest geodesic on the surface. This will also imply that the sectional curvature is not pinched from above or below by any negative constant.
We present a view of the current understanding of the geometry of Weil-Petersson (WP) geodesics on the completion of the Teichmüller space. We sketch a collection of results by other authors and then proceed to develop the properties of the WP CAT(0) geometry. Our approach includes a simplified proof of the Masur-Wolf theorem, a classification of flats and of geodesic limits.
The universal Teichmüller space is an infinitely dimensional generalization of the classical Teichmüller space of Riemann surfaces. It carries a natural Hilbert structure, on which one can define a natural Riemannian metric, the Weil-Petersson metric. In this paper we investigate the Weil-Petersson Riemannian curvature operator $\tilde{Q}$ of the universal Teichmüller space with the Hilbert structure, and prove the following: (i) $\tilde{Q}$ is non-positive definite. (ii) $\tilde{Q}$ is a bounded operator. (iii) $\tilde{Q}$ is not compact; the set of the spectra of $\tilde{Q}$ is not discrete.…
Over the past two decades the theory of the Weil-Petersson metric has been extended to general Teichmüller spaces of infinite type, including for example the universal Teichmüller space. In this paper we give a survey of the main results in the Weil-Petersson geometry of infinite-dimensional Teichmüller spaces. This includes the rigorous definition of complex Hilbert manifold structures, Kähler geometry and global analysis, and generalizations of the period mapping. We also discuss the motivations of the theory in representation theory and physics beginning in the 1980s. Some examples of the a…
In this paper we prove that all initially-smooth solutions of the Euler-Weil-Petersson equation, which describes geodesics on the universal Teichmüller space under the Weil-Petersson metric, will remain smooth for all time. This extends the work of Escher-Kolev for strong Riemannian metrics to the borderline case of $H^{3/2}$ metrics. In addition we show that all initially-smooth solutions of the Wunsch equation, which describes geodesics on the universal Teichmüller curve under the Velling-Kirillov metric, must blow up in finite time due to wave breaking, extending work of Castro-Córdoba and …
We prove that the universal Teichmuller space T(1) carries a new structure of a complex Hilbert manifold. We show that the connected component of the identity of T(1), the Hilbert submanifold T_{0}(1), is a topological group. We define a Weil-Petersson metric on T(1) by Hilbert space inner products on tangent spaces, compute its Riemann curvature tensor, and show that T(1) is a Kahler-Einstein manifold with negative Ricci and sectional curvatures. We introduce and compute Mumford-Miller-Morita characteristic forms for the vertical tangent bundle of the universal Teichmuller curve fibration ove…
We highlight recent progresses in the study of the Weil-Petersson (WP) geometry of finite dimensional Teichmüller spaces. For recent progress on and the understanding of infinite dimensional Teichmüller spaces the reader is directed to the recent work of Teo-Takhtajan. As part of the highlight, we also present possible directions for future investigations.
We present a brief but nearly self-contained proof of a formula for the Weil-Petersson Hessian of the geodesic length of a closed curve (either simple or not simple) on a hyperbolic surface. The formula is the sum of the integrals of two naturally defined positive functions over the geodesic, proving convexity of this functional over Teichmuller space (due to Wolpert (1987)). We then estimate this Hessian from below in terms of local quantities and distance along the geodesic. The formula extends to proper arcs on punctured hyperbolic surfaces, and the estimate to laminations. Wolpert's result…
We prove that every Weil-Petersson isometry of the Teichmuller space T(g,n) is induced by an element of the extended mapping class group; here 3g-3+n > 1 and (g,n) is not (1,2). Our method follows Ivanov's proof of the Royden's analogous theorem for the Teichmuller metric: we study the action of an isometry on the frontier of the metric completion of the Teichmuller space, and show that the isometry then induces an automorphism on the relevant complex of curves. Some synthetic geometry of the Weil-Petersson metric completes the proof.
Given a surface of higher genus, we will look at the Weil-Petersson completion of the Teichmuller space of the surface, and will study the isometric action of the mapping class group on it. The main observation is that the geometric characteristics of the setting bear strong similarities to the ones in semi-simple Lie group actions on noncompact symmetric spaces.
We consider harmonic maps$u(z): \mathcal{X}_z\to N$ in a fixed homotopy class from Riemann surfaces $\mathcal{X}_z$ of genus $g\geq 2$ varying in the Teichmü{}ller space $\mathcal T$ to a Riemannian manifold $N$ with non-positive Hermitian sectional curvature. The energy function $E(z)=E(u(z))$ can be viewed as a function on $\mathcal T$ and we study its first and the second variations. We prove that the reciprocal energy function $E(z)^{-1}$ is plurisuperharmonic on Teichmüller space. We also obtain the (strict) plurisubharmonicity of $\log E(z)$ and $E(z)$. As an application, we get the foll…
We construct a new Riemannian metric on Goldman space $\mathcal{B}(S)$, the space of the equivalence classes of convex projective structures on the surface $S$, and then prove the new metric, as well as the metric of Darvishzadeh and Goldman, restricts to be the Weil-Petersson metric on Teichm$\ddot{u}$ller space, embedded as a submanifold of Goldman space $\mathcal{B}(S)$. Moreover, Teichm$\ddot{u}$ller space endowed with the Weil-Petersson metric then is totally geodesic in the Riemannian manifold $\mathcal{B}(S)$.
An expansion is developed for the Weil-Petersson Riemann curvature tensor in the thin region of the Teichmüller and moduli spaces. The tensor is evaluated on the gradients of geodesic-lengths for disjoint geodesics. A precise lower bound for sectional curvature in terms of the surface systole is presented. The curvature tensor expansion is applied to establish continuity properties at the frontier strata of the augmented Teichmüller space. The curvature tensor has the asymptotic product structure already observed for the metric and covariant derivative. The product structure is combined with t…
In this paper we study the injectivity radius based at a fixed point along Weil-Petersson geodesics. We show that the square root of the injectivity radius based at a fixed point is $ 0.3884$-Lipschitz on Teichmüller space endowed with the Weil-Petersson metric. As an application we reprove that the square root of the systole function is uniformly Lipschitz on Teichmüller space endowed with the Weil-Petersson metric, where the Lipschitz constant can be chosen to be $0.5492$. Applications to asymptotic geometry of moduli space of Riemann surfaces for large genus will also be discussed.
Fix a number $g>1$, let $S$ be a close surface of genus $g$, and $Teich(S)$ be the Teichmüller space of $S$ endowed with the Weil-Petersson metric. In this paper we show that the Riemannian sectional curvature operator of $Teich(S)$ is non-positive definite. As an application we show that any twist harmonic map from rank-one hyperbolic spaces $H_{Q,m}=Sp(m,1)/Sp(m)\cdot Sp(1)$ or $H_{O,2}=F_{4}^{-20}/SO(9)$ into $Teich(S)$ is a constant.
In general, it is difficult to measure distances in the Weil-Petersson metric on Teichmüller space. Here we consider the distance between strata in the Weil-Petersson completion of Teichmüller space of a surface of finite type. Wolpert showed that for strata whose closures do not intersect, there is a definite separation independent of the topology of the surface. We prove that the optimal value for this minimal separation is a constant $δ_{1,1}$ and show that it is realized exactly by strata whose nodes intersect once. We also give a nearly sharp estimate for $δ_{1,1}$ and give a lower bound …
Convexity properties of Weil-Petersson geodesics on the Teichmüller space of punctured Riemann surfaces are investigated. A normal form is presented for the Weil-Petersson Levi-Civita connection for pinched hyperbolic metrics. The normal form is used to establish approximation of geodesics in boundary spaces. Considerations are combined to establish convexity along Weil-Petersson geodesics of the functions the distance between horocycles for a hyperbolic metric.
In this paper we study the systole function along Weil-Petersson geodesics. We show that the square root of the systole function is uniformly Lipschitz on Teichmüller space endowed with the Weil-Petersson metric. As an application, we study the growth of the Weil-Petersson inradius of moduli space of Riemann surfaces of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures as a function of $g$ and $n$. We show that the Weil-Petersson inradius is comparable to $\sqrt{\ln{g}}$ with respect to $g$, and is comparable to $1$ with respect to $n$. Moreover, we also study the asymptotic behavior, as $g$ goes to infinity, of t…
We characterization hyperbolic metrics on compact surfaces with boundary using a variational principle. As a consequence, a new parametrization of the Teichmuller space of compact surface with boundary is produced. In the new parametrization, the Teichmuller space becomes an open convex polytope. It is conjectured that the Weil-Petersson symplectic form can be expressed explicitly in terms of the new coordinate.
We survey the renormalized volume of hyperbolic 3-manifolds, as a tool for Teichmuller theory, using simple differential geometry arguments to recover results sometimes first achieved by other means. One such application is McMullen's quasifuchsian (or more generally Kleinian) reciprocity, for which different arguments are proposed. Another is the fact that the renormalized volume of quasifuchsian (or more generally geometrically finite) hyperbolic 3-manifolds provides a Kahler potential for the Weil-Petersson metric on Teichmuller space. Yet another is the fact that the grafting map is symple…
We extend a theorem of Masur and Wolf which says that given a hyperbolic surface S, every isometry of the Teichmuller space for S with the Weil-Petersson metric is induced by an element of the mapping class group for S. Our argument handles the previously untreated cases of the four-holed sphere, the one-holed torus, and the two-holed torus.
We study the Hilbert manifold structure on $T_{0}(1)$ -- the connected component of the identity of the Hilbert manifold T(1). We characterize points on $T_{0}(1)$ in terms of Bers and pre-Bers embeddings, and prove that the Grunsky operators $B_{1}$ and $B_{4}$, associated with the points in $T_{0}(1)$ via conformal welding, are Hilbert-Schmidt. We define a ``universal Liouville action'' -- a real-valued function $\SSS_{1}$ on $T_{0}(1)$, and prove that it is a Kähler potential of the Weil-Petersson metric on $T_{0}(1)$. We also prove that $\SSS_{1}$ is $-\tfrac{1}{12π}$ times the logarithm o…
Given a closed hyperbolic 3-manifold T_ψthat fibers over the circle with monodromy ψ: S -> S, the monodromy $ψ$ determines an isometry of Teichmuller space with its Weil-Petersson metric whose translation distance ||ψ||_WP is positive. We show there is a constant K >= 1 depending only on the topology of S so that the volume of T_ψsatisfies ||ψ||_WP/K <= vol(T_ψ) <= K ||ψ||_WP.
We prove the holomorphic rigidity conjecture of Teichmüller space which loosely speaking states that the action of the mapping class group uniquely determines the Teichmüller space as a complex manifold. The method of proof is through harmonic maps. We prove that the singular set of a harmonic map from a smooth $n$-dimensional Riemannian domain to the Weil-Petersson completion $\overline{\mathcal T}$ of Teichmüller space has Hausdorff dimension at most $n-2$, and moreover, $u$ has certain decay near the singular set. Combining this with the earlier work of Schumacher, Siu and Jost-Yau, we prov…
On a convex body in a Euclidean space, we introduce a new variational formulation for its Funk metric, a Finsler metric compatible with the tautological Finsler structure of the convex body. We generalize the metric on Teichmuller spaces with the Weil-Petersson distance function. A set of similarities the resulting metric structure shares with Thurston's asymmetric metric is noted.
An almost Fuchsian 3-manifold is a quasi-Fuchsian manifold which contains an incompressible closed minimal surface with principal curvatures in the range of $(-1,1)$. Such a 3-manifold $M$ admits a foliation of parallel surfaces, whose locus in Teichmüller space is represented as a path $γ$, we show that $γ$ joins the conformal structures of the two components of the conformal boundary of $M$. Moreover, we obtain an upper bound for the Teichmüller distance between any two points on $γ$, in particular, the Teichmüller distance between the two components of the conformal boundary of $M$, in term…
We define the quantum correction of the Teichmüller space $\mathcal{T}$ of Calabi-Yau manifolds. Under the assumption of no weak quantum correction, we prove that the Teichmüller space $\mathcal{T}$ is a locally symmetric space with the Weil-Petersson metric. For Calabi-Yau threefolds, we show that no strong quantum correction is equivalent to that, with the Hodge metric, the image $ Φ(\mathcal{T})$ of the Teichmüller space $\mathcal{T}$ under the period map $Φ$ is an open submanifold of a globally Hermitian symmetric space $W$ of the same dimension as $\mathcal{T}$. Finally, for Hyperkähler m…
This is a survey paper on the topic of Weil-Petersson geometry of Teichmuller spaces. Even though historically the subject has been developed as a branch of complex analysis, the treatment here is from the view-point of differential geometry, much influenced by the works of Eells, Earle, Fischer, Tromba and Wolpert over the several decades. The Weil-Petersson geometry has negative sectional curvature, and the main theme of this article is to exploit the convexity of the Weil-Petersson distance function induced by the negativity of the curvature, from Riemannian geometric approaches as well as …
In an earlier paper [Acta Mathematica, v. 176, 1996, 145-169, alg-geom/9505024 ] the present authors and Dennis Sullivan constructed the universal direct system of the classical Teichmüller spaces of Riemann surfaces of varying genus. The direct limit, which we called the universal commensurability Teichmüller space, $T_{infty}$, was shown to carry on it a natural action of the universal commensurability mapping class group, $MC_{\infty}$. In this paper we identify an interesting cofinal sub-system corresponding to the tower of finite-sheeted characteristic coverings over any fixed base surfac…
We define an associative algebra AS_h(S) generated by framed arcs and links over a punctured surface S which is a quantization of the Poisson algebra C(S) of arcs and curves on S. We then construct a Poisson algebra homomorphism from C(S) to the space of smooth functions on the decorated Teichmuller space endowed with the Weil-Petersson Poisson structure. The construction relies on a collection of geodesic lengths identities in hyperbolic geometry which generalize Penner's Ptolemy relation, the trace identities and Wolpert's cosine formula. As a consequence, we derive an explicit formula for t…
In this note, we consider two Riemannian metrics on a moduli space of metric graphs. Each of them could be thought of as an analogue of the Weil-Petersson metric on the moduli space of metric graphs. We discuss and compare geometric features of these two metrics with the "classic" Weil-Petersson metric in Teichmüller theory. This paper is motivated by Pollicott and Sharp's earlier work.
Let G be a split semisimple algebraic group with trivial center. Let S be a compact oriented surface, with or without boundary. We define {\it positive} representations of the fundamental group of S to G(R), construct explicitly all positive representations, and prove that they are faithful, discrete, and positive hyperbolic; the moduli space of positive representations is a topologically trivial open domain in the space of all representations. When S have holes, we defined two moduli spaces closely related to the moduli spaces of G-local systems on S. We show that they carry a lot of interest…
The Pontryagin forms on 1-jet bundle of Riemannian metrics, are shown to provide, in a natural way, diffeomorphism-invariant pre-symplectic structures on the space of Riemannian metrics for dimensions $n=4r-2$. The equivariant Pontryagin forms provide canonical moment maps for these structures. In dimension two, the symplectic reduction corresponding to the pre-symplectic form and its moment map attached to the first Pontryagin form, is proved to coincide with the Teichmüller space endowed with the Weil-Petersson symplectic form.