Let $e$ denote the Euler class on the space $Hom(Γ_g, PSL(2,\mathbb R))$ of representations of the fundamental group $Γ_g$ of the closed surface $Σ_g$ of genus $g$. Goldman showed that the connected components of $Hom(Γ_g, PSL(2,\mathbb R))$ are precisely the inverse images $e^{-1}(k)$, for $2-2g\leq k\leq 2g-2$, and that the components of Euler class $2-2g$ and $2g-2$ consist of the injective representations whose image is a discrete subgroup of $PSL(2,\mathbb R)$. We prove that non-faithful representations are dense in all the other components. We show that the image of a discrete representation essentially determines its Euler class. Moreover, we show that for every genus and possible corresponding Euler class, there exist discrete representations.
In this note, we give an explicit counterexample to the simple loop conjecture for representations of surface groups into PSL(2,R). Specifically, we show that for any surface with negative Euler characteristic and genus at least 1, there are uncountably many non-conjugate, non-injective homomorphisms of its fundamental group into PSL(2,R) that kill no simple closed curve (nor any power of a simple closed curve). This result is not new -- work of Louder and Calegari for representations of surface groups into SL(2, C) applies to the PSL(2,R) case, but our approach here is explicit and elementary…
Cooper-Manning and Louder gave examples of maps of surface groups to PSL(2,C) which are not injective, but are incompressible (i.e. no simple loop is in the kernel). We construct more examples with very simple certificates for their incompressibility arising from the theory of stable commutator length.
We estimate the upper bound for the $\ell^{\infty}$-norm of the volume form on $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{H}^2$ seen as a class in $H_{c}^{6}(\mathrm{PSL}_{2}\mathbb{R}\times\mathrm{PSL}_{2}\mathbb{R}\times\mathrm{PSL}_{2}\mathbb{R};\mathbb{R})$. This gives the lower bound for the simplicial volume of closed Riemennian manifolds covered by $\mathbb{H}^{2}\times\mathbb{H}^{2}\times\mathbb{H}^{2}$. The proof of these facts yields an algorithm to compute the lower bound of closed Riemannian manifolds covered by $\big(\mathbb{H}^2\big)^n$.
For given closed orientable 3-manifolds $M$ and $N$ let $cD(M,N)$ be the set of mapping degrees from $M$ to $N$. We address the problem: For which $N$, $cD(M,N)$ is finite for all $M$? The answer is known in Thurston's picture of closed orientable irreducible 3-manifolds unless the target is a non-trivial graph manifold. We prove that for each closed non-trivial graph manifold $N$, $cD(M,N)$ is finite for all graph manifold $M$. The proof uses a recently developed standard forms of maps between graph manifolds and the estimation of the $\widetilde{\rm PSL}(2,{\R})$-volume for certain class of …
Let $S$ be a closed surface of genus $g \geq 2$ and let $ρ$ be a maximal $\mathrm{PSL}(2, \mathbb{R}) \times \mathrm{PSL}(2, \mathbb{R})$ surface group representation. By a result of Schoen, there is a unique $ρ$-equivariant minimal surface $\widetildeΣ$ in $\mathbb{H}^{2} \times \mathbb{H}^{2}$. We study the induced metrics on these minimal surfaces and prove the limits are precisely mixed structures. In the second half of the paper, we provide a geometric interpretation: the minimal surfaces $\widetildeΣ$ degenerate to the core of a product of two $\mathbb{R}$-trees. As a consequence, we obt…
We use intersection theory techniques to define an invariant of closed 3-manifolds counting the characters of irreducible representations of the fundamental group in PSL(2,C). We note several properties of the invariant and compute the invariant for certain Seifert fibered spaces and for some Dehn surgeries on twist knots. We discuss the relationship between this invariant and the SL(2,C)-invariant.
We define a class of representations of the fundamental group of a closed surface of genus $2$ to $\mathrm{PSL}_2 (\mathbb C)$: the pentagon representations. We show that they are exactly the non-elementary $\mathrm{PSL}_2 (\mathbb C)$-representations of surface groups that do not admit a Schottky decomposition, i.e. a pants decomposition such that the restriction of the representation to each pair of pants is an isomorphism onto a Schottky group. In doing so, we exhibit a gap in the proof of Gallo, Kapovich and Marden that every non-elementary representation of a surface group to $\mathrm{PSL…
We study embedding of closed totally geodesic hyperbolic 2-orbifolds in the Bianchi orbifolds $\mathbb{H}^3/PSL(2,\mathcal{O}_d)$. Our main result shows that there is a constant $c$ such that for $d$ large enough there are at least $cd$ closed embedded totally geodesic hyperbolic 2-orbifolds. Moreover we provide a list which conjecturally consists of those $d$ for which $\mathbb{H}^3/PSL(2,\mathcal{O}_d)$ does not contain a closed embedded totally geodesic hyperbolic 2-orbifold.
This paper gives a proof that the fundamental group of a class of closed orientable 3-manifolds constructed from three injective handlebodies has a solvable word problem. This is done by giving an algorithm to decide if a closed curve in the manifold is null-homotopic. Non-Haken and non-Seifert fibered examples are constructed by performing Dehn surgery on a class of two-bridge knots.
Let $S$ be a closed surface of genus $g$. In this paper, we investigate the relationship between hyperbolic cone-structure on $S$ and representations of the fundamental group into $\text{PSL}_2\Bbb R$. We consider surfaces of genus greater than $g$ and we show that, under suitable conditions, every representation $ρ:π_1 S\longrightarrow \text{PSL}_2\Bbb R$ with Euler number $\mathcal{E}(ρ)=\pm\big(χ(S)+1\big)$ arises as holonomy of a hyperbolic cone-structure $σ$ on $S$ with a single cone point of angle $4π$. From this result, we derive that for surfaces of genus $2$ every representation with …
Goldman parametrizes the $\mathrm{PSL}_3(\mathbb{R})$-Hitchin component of a closed oriented hyperbolic surface of genus $g$ by $16g-16$ parameters. Among them, $10g-10$ coordinates are canonical. We prove that the $\mathrm{PSL}_3(\mathbb{R})$-Hitchin component equipped with the Atiyah-Bott-Goldman symplectic form admits a global Darboux coordinate system such that the half of its coordinates are canonical Goldman coordinates. To this end, we show a version of the action-angle principle and the Zocca-type decomposition formula for the symplectic form of H. Kim and Guruprasad-Huebschmann-Jeffre…
We study the vectorial length compactification of the space of conjugacy classes of maximal representations of the fundamental group $Γ$ of a closed hyperbolic surface $Σ$ in ${\rm PSL}(2,\mathbb R)^n$. We identify the boundary with the sphere $\mathbb P((\mathcal{ML})^n)$, where $\mathcal{ML}$ is the space of measured geodesic laminations on $Σ$. In the case $n=2$, we give a geometric interpretation of the boundary as the space of homothety classes of $\mathbb R^2$-mixed structures on $Σ$. We associate to such a structure a dual tree-graded space endowed with an $\mathbb R_+^2$-valued metric,…
Among other things, we prove the following two topologcal statements about closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds. First, every rational second homology class of a closed hyperbolic 3-manifold has a positve integral multiple represented by an oriented connected closed $π_1$-injectively immersed quasi-Fuchsian subsurface. Second, every rationally null-homologous, $π_1$-injectively immersed oriented closed 1-submanifold in a closed hyperbolic 3-manifold has an equidegree finite cover which bounds an oriented compact $π_1$-injective immersed quasi-Fuchsian subsurface. In part, we exploit techniques develo…
It is proved that the Hasse-Weil zeta functions of the canonical components of the ${\rm SL}_2$ (${\rm PSL}_2$)-character varieties of closed orientable complete hyperbolic $3$-manifolds of finite volume are equal to the Dedekind zeta functions of their trace fields (invariant trace fields). When the closed $3$-manifold is arithmetic, the special value at $s=2$ of the Hasse-Weil zeta function of the canonical component of the ${\rm PSL}_2$-character variety is expressed in terms of the hyperbolic volume of the manifold up to rational numbers.
In this paper we consider the action of the mapping class group of a surface on the space of homomorphisms from the fundamental group of a surface into PSL(2,R). Goldman conjectured that when the surface is closed and of genus bigger than one, the action on non-Teichmuller connected components of the associated moduli space (i.e. the space of homomorphisms modulo conjugation) is ergodic. One approach to this question is to use sewing techniques which requires that one considers the action on the level of homomorphisms, and for surfaces with boundary. In this paper we consider the case of the o…
We study a particular class of representations from the fundamental groups of punctured spheres $Σ_{0,n}$ to the group $\text{PSL} (2,\mathbb R)$ (and their moduli spaces), that we call \emph{super-maximal}. Super-maximal representations are shown to be \emph{totally non hyperbolic}, in the sense that every simple closed curve is mapped to a non hyperbolic element. They are also shown to be \emph{geometrizable} (appart from the reducible super-maximal ones) in the following very strong sense : for any element of the Teichmüller space $\mathcal T_{0,n}$, there is a unique holomorphic equivarian…
We show that many 3-manifold groups have no nonabelian surface subgroups. For example, any link of an isolated complex surface singularity has this property. In fact, we determine the exact class of closed graph-manifolds which have no immersed pi_1-injective surface of negative Euler characteristic. We also determine the class of closed graph manifolds which have no finite cover containing an embedded such surface. This is a larger class. Thus, manifolds M^3 exist which have immersed pi_1-injective surfaces of negative Euler characteristic, but no such surface is virtually embedded (finitely …
This paper gives a proof that the universal cover of a closed 3-manifold built from three $π_1$-injective handlebodies is homeomorphic to $\mathbb R^3$. This construction is an extension to handlebodies of the conditions for gluing of three solid tori to produce non-Haken Seifert fibered manifolds with infinite fundamental group. This class of manifolds has been shown to contain non-Haken non-Seifert fibered manifolds.
Let G be a closed transitive subgroup of Homeo(S^1) which contains a non-constant continuous path f: [0,1] --> G. We show that up to conjugation G is one of the following groups: SO(2,R), PSL(2,R), PSL_k(2,R), Homeo_k(S^1), Homeo(S^1). This verifies the classification suggested by Ghys [Enseign. Math. 47 (2001) 329-407]. As a corollary we show that the group PSL(2,R) is a maximal closed subgroup of Homeo(S^1) (we understand this is a conjecture of de la Harpe). We also show that if such a group G < Homeo(S^1) acts continuously transitively on k-tuples of points, k>3, then the closure of G is H…
We show that for a representation of the fundamental group of a triangulated closed 3-manifold (not necessarily hyperbolic) into $\PSL$ so that any edge loop has non-trivial image under the representation, there exist uncountably many solutions to the hyperbolic gluing equation whose associated representations are conjugate to the given representation, and whose volumes are equal to the volume of the given representation.
Given a smooth spacelike surface $Σ$ of negative curvature in Anti-de Sitter space of dimension 3, invariant by a representation $ρ:π_1(S)\to\mathrm{PSL}_2\mathbb{R}\times\mathrm{PSL}_2\mathbb{R}$ where $S$ is a closed oriented surface of genus $\geq 2$, a canonical construction associates to $Σ$ a diffeomorphism $ϕ_Σ$ of $S$. It turns out that $ϕ_Σ$ is a symplectomorphism for the area forms of the two hyperbolic metrics $h$ and $h'$ on $S$ induced by the action of $ρ$ on $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{H}^2$. Using an algebraic construction related to the flux homomorphism, we give a new proof of …
Cobordism of Haken $n$-manifolds is defined by a Haken $(n+1)$-manifold $W$ whose boundary has two components, each of which is a closed Haken $n$-manifold. In addition, the inclusion map of the fundamental group of each boundary component to $π_1(W)$ is injective. In this paper we prove that there are 4-dimensional Haken cobordisms whose boundary consists of any two closed Haken 3-manifolds. In particular, each closed Haken 3-manifold is the $π_1$-injective boundary of some Haken 4-manifold.
We give counterexamples to a version of the simple loop conjecture in which the target group is PSL(2,C). These examples answer a question of Minsky in the negative.
The Hitchin component Hit_n(S) of a closed surface S is a preferred component of the character variety X_PSL_n(R)(S) consisting of homomorphisms from the fundamental group pi_1(S) to the Lie group PSL_n(R)(S), whose elements enjoy remarkable geometric and dynamical properties. We consider a certain type of deformations of the elements of Hit_n(S), called shearing deformations, and compute their pairing for the Atiyah-Bott-Goldman symplectic form of the character variety.
For a given quasi-Fuchsian representation $ρ:π_1(S)\to$ PSL$_2\mathbb{C}$ of the fundamental group of a closed surface $S$ of genus $g\geq 2$, we prove that a generic branched complex projective structure on $S$ with holonomy $ρ$ and two branch points is obtained by bubbling some unbranched structure on $S$ with the same holonomy.
We show the set of faithful representations of a closed orientable hyperbolic surface group is dense in both irreducible components of the PSL(2,K) representation variety, where K is the field of real or complex numbers, answering a question of W. Goldman. We also prove the existence of faithful representations into PU(2,1) with certain nonintegral Toledo invariants.
This is the first of two papers on the global topology of the space $\textrm{Sub}(G)$ of all closed subgroups of $G=\textrm{PSL}_2(\mathbb{R})$, equipped with the Chabauty topology. In this paper, we study the spaces of lattices and elementary subgroups of $G$, and prove a continuity result for conformal grafting of (possibly infinite type) vectored orbifolds that will be useful in both papers. More specifically, we first identify the homotopy type of the space of elementary subgroups of $G$, following Baik-Clavier. Then for a fixed finite type hyperbolizable $2$-orbifold $S$, we show that the…
This paper looks at a class of closed orientable 3-manifolds constructed from a gluing of three handlebodies, such that the inclusion of each handlebody is $π_1$-injective. This construction is the generalisation to handlebodies of the condition for gluing three solid tori to produce non-Haken Seifert fibered 3-manifolds with infinite fundamental group. It is shown that there is an efficient algorithm to decide if a gluing of handlebodies meets the disk-condition. Also an outline for the construction of the characteristic variety (JSJ decomposition) in such manifolds is given. Some non-Haken a…
Closed essential surfaces in a three-manifold can be detected by ideal points of the character variety or by algebraic non-integral representations. We give examples of closed essential surfaces not detected in either of these ways. For ideal points, we use Chesebro's module-theoretic interpretation of Culler-Shalen theory. As a corollary, we construct an infinite family of closed hyperbolic Haken 3-manifolds with no algebraic non-integral representations into PSL(2, C), resolving a question of Shanuel and Zhang.
We construct a geometric, real analytic parametrization of the Hitchin component Hit_n(S) of the PSL_n(R)-character variety R_{PSL_n(R)}(S) of a closed surface S. The approach is explicit and constructive. In essence, our parametrization is an extension of Thurston's shear coordinates for the Teichmueller space of a closed surface, combined with Fock-Goncharov's coordinates for the moduli space of positive framed local systems of a punctured surface. More precisely, given a maximal geodesic lamination λin S with finitely many leaves, we introduce two types of invariants for elements of the Hit…
Let $S$ be a closed, connected, orientable surface of genus at least 3, $\mathcal{C}(S)$ be the complex of curves on $S$ and $Mod_S^*$ be the extended mapping class group of $S$. We prove that a simplicial map, $λ: \mathcal{C}(S) \to \mathcal{C}(S)$, preserves nondisjointness (i.e. if $α$ and $β$ are two vertices in $\mathcal{C}(S)$ and $i(α, β) \neq 0$, then $i(λ(α), λ(β)) \neq 0$) iff it is induced by a homeomorphism of $S$. As a corollary, we prove that if $K$ is a finite index subgroup of $Mod_S^*$ and $f: K \to Mod_S^*$ is an injective homomorphism, then $f$ is induced by a homeomorphism …
We characterize the representations of the fundamental group of a closed surface to $\mathrm{PSL}_2(\mathbb C)$ that arise as the holonomy of a branched complex projective structure with fixed branch divisor. In particular, we compute the holonomies of the spherical metrics with prescribed integral conical angles and the holonomies of affine structures with fixed conical angles on closed surfaces.
Let $ Γ< PSL_2(\mathbb{C}) $ be a Zariski dense finitely generated Kleinian group. We show all Radon measures on $ PSL_2(\mathbb{C}) / Γ$ which are ergodic and invariant under the action of the horospherical subgroup are either supported on a single closed horospherical orbit or quasi-invariant with respect to the geodesic frame flow and its centralizer. We do this by applying a result of Landesberg and Lindenstrauss together with fundamental results in the theory of 3-manifolds, most notably the Tameness Theorem by Agol and Calegari-Gabai.
We say that a collection Gamma of geodesics in the hyperbolic plane H^2 is a modular pattern if Gamma is invariant under the modular group PSL_2(Z), if there are only finitely many PSL_2(Z)-equivalence classes of geodesics in Gamma, and if each geodesic in Gamma is stabilized by an infinite order subgroup of PSL_2(Z). For instance, any finite union of closed geodesics on the modular orbifold H^2/PSL_2(Z) lifts to a modular pattern. Let S^1 be the ideal boundary of H^2. Given two points p,q in S^1 we write pq if p and q are the endpoints of a geodesic in Gamma. (In particular pp.) We show that …
Let S be an oriented closed surface of genus at least two. We show that, given a generic representation in the PSL(2,C)-character variety of S, (2π-)graftings produce all projective structures on S with the holonomy representation.
Given a Hitchin representation $ρ\colon π_1(S) \to \PSL_n(\mathbb{R})$, we construct $n$ continuous functions $\ell_i^ρ\colon \mathcal \CH(S) \to \mathbb{R}$ defined on the space of Hölder geodesic currents $\CH(S)$ such that, for a closed, oriented curve $γ$ in $S$, the $i$--th eigenvalue of the matrix $ρ(γ)\in \PSL_n(\mathbb{R})$ is of the form $\pm \mathrm{exp}\, \ell_i^ρ(γ)$: such functions generalize to higher rank Thurston's length function of Fuchsian re\presentations. Identities, diffe\rentiability properties of these lengths $\ell_i^ρ$, as well as applications to eigenvalue estimates,…
In this paper, we construct cataclysm deformations for $θ$-Anosov representations into a semisimple non-compact connected real Lie group $G$ with finite center, where $θ\subset Δ$ is a subset of the simple roots that is invariant under the opposition involution. These generalize Thurston's cataclysms on Teichmüller space and Dreyer's cataclysms for Borel-Anosov representations into $\mathrm{PSL}(n, \mathbb{R})$. We express the deformation also in terms of the boundary map. Furthermore, we show that cataclysm deformations are additive and behave well with respect to composing a representation w…
Let R be a compact, connected, orientable surface of genus g with p boundary components. Let C(R) be the complex of curves on R and Mod_R^* be the extended mapping class group of R. Suppose that either g = 2 and p > 1 or g > 2 and p >= 0. We prove that a simplicial map lambda from C(R) to C(R) is superinjective if and only if it is induced by a homeomorphism of R. As a corollary, we prove that if K is a finite index subgroup of Mod_R^* and f is an injective homomorphism from K to Mod_R^*, then f is induced by a homeomorphism of R and f has a unique extension to an automorphism of Mod_R^*. This…
In this paper, it is shown that every closed hyperbolic 3-manifold contains an immersed quasi-Fuchsian closed subsurface of odd Euler characteristic. The construction adopts the good pants method, and the primary new ingredient is an enhanced version of the connection principle, which allows one to connect any two frames with a path of frames in a prescribed relative homology class of the frame bundle. The existence result is applied to show that every uniform lattice of $\mathrm{PSL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ admits an exhausting nested sequence of sublattices with exponential homological torsion growth…
We construct arithmetic Kleinian groups that are profinitely rigid in the absolute sense: each is distinguished from all other finitely generated, residually finite groups by its set of finite quotients. The Bianchi group $\mathrm{PSL}(2,\mathbb{Z}[ω])$ with $ω^2+ω+1=0$ is rigid in this sense. Other examples include the non-uniform lattice of minimal co-volume in $\mathrm{PSL}(2,\mathbb{C})$ and the fundamental group of the Weeks manifold (the closed hyperbolic $3$-manifold of minimal volume).
Let M be a compact closed non-orientable surface. We show that the space of representations of the fundamental group of M into PSL(2,R) has exactly two connected components. These two components are the preimages of a certain Stiefel-Whitney characteristic class, computed in a similar way as the Euler class in the orientable case.
Let $M$ be a closed oriented surface of genus $g\ge 1$, let $B_n(M)$ be the braid group of $M$ on $n$ strings, and let $SB_n(M)$ be the corresponding singular braid monoid. Our purpose in this paper is to prove that the desingularization map $η: SB_n(M) \to \Z [B_n(M)]$, introduced in the definition of the Vassiliev invariants (for braids on surfaces), is injective.
If M is a hyperbolic 3-manifold with a quasigeodesic flow then we show that π_1(M) acts in a natural way on a closed disc by homeomorphisms. Consequently, such a flow either has a closed orbit or the action on the boundary circle is Möbius-like but not conjugate into PSL(2, R). We conjecture that the latter possibility cannot occur.
The University of Texas at Austin（德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校）；CNRS and IRMA, Université de Strasbourg（法国国家科学研究中心与斯特拉斯堡大学数学与计算机科学研究实验室）；CNRS and Laboratoire Alexander Grothendieck, Institut des Hautes Études Scientifiques, Université Paris-Saclay（法国国家科学研究中心、亚历山大·格罗滕迪克实验室、高等科学研究所与巴黎萨克雷大学）
