v4: Final version 22pgs 2figures. Includes the main theorem of the appendix arXiv:1002.2090 by Shubhabrata Das and Mahan Mj. To appear in Geometric and Functional Analysis
In earlier work, we had shown that Cannon-Thurston maps exist for Kleinian surface groups. In this paper we prove that pre-images of points are precisely end-points of leaves of the ending lamination whenever the Cannon-Thurston map is not one-to-one. In particular, the Cannon-Thurston map is finite-to-one. This completes the proof of the conjectural picture of Cannon-Thurston maps for surface groups.
This is an expository paper. We prove the Cannon-Thurston property for bounded geometry surface groups with or without punctures. We prove three theorems, due to Cannon-Thurston, Minsky and Bowditch. The proofs are culled out of earlier work of the author.
Using the Birmanexact sequence for pure mapping class groups, we construct a universal Cannon--Thurston map onto the boundary of a curve complex for a surface with punctures we call surviving curve complex. Along the way we prove hyperbolicity of this complex and identify its boundary as a space of laminations. As a corollary we obtain a universal Cannon--Thurston map to the boundary of the ordinary curve complex, extending earlier work of the second author with Mj and Schleimer.
Any hyperbolic surface bundle over the circle gives rise to a continuous surjection from the circle to the sphere, by work of Cannon and Thurston. We prove that the order in which this surjection fills out the sphere is dictated by a natural triangulation of the surface bundle (introduced by Agol) when all singularities of the invariant foliations are at punctures of the fiber.
We introduce the notion of manifolds of amalgamation geometry and its generalization, split geometry. We show that the limit set of any surface group of split geometry is locally connected, by constructing a natural Cannon-Thurston map.
The notion of i-bounded geometry generalises simultaneously bounded geometry and the geometry of punctured torus Kleinian groups. We show that the limit set of a surface Kleinian group of i-bounded geometry is locally connected by constructing a natural Cannon-Thurston map. This is an exposition of a special case of the main result of arXiv:math/0607509.
In earlier work, we had shown that Cannon-Thurston maps exist for Kleinian punctured surface groups without accidental parabolics. In this note we prove that pre-images of points are precisely end-points of leaves of the ending lamination whenever the Cannon-Thurston map is not one-to-one. This extends earlier work done for closed surface groups.
We prove the existence of Cannon-Thurston maps for simply and doubly degenerate surface Kleinian groups. As a consequence we prove that connected limit sets of finitely generated Kleinian groups are locally connected.
Let (X,d) be a tree (T) of hyperbolic metric spaces satisfying the quasi-isometrically embedded condition. Let $v$ be a vertex of $T$. Let $({X_v},d_v)$ denote the hyperbolic metric space corresponding to $v$. Then $i : X_v \rightarrow X$ extends continuously to a map $\hat{i} : \widehat{X_v} \rightarrow \widehat{X}$. This generalizes a Theorem of Cannon and Thurston. The techniques are used to give a new proof of a result of Minsky: Thurston's ending lamination conjecture for certain Kleinian groups. Applications to graphs of hyperbolic groups and local connectivity of limit sets of Kleinian …
Let N^h be a hyperbolic 3-manifold of bounded geometry corresponding to a hyperbolic structure on a pared manifold (M,P). Further, suppose that (\partial{M} - P) is incompressible, i.e. the boundary of M is incompressible away from cusps. Further, suppose that M_{gf} is a geometrically finite hyperbolic structure on (M,P). Then there is a Cannon- Thurston map from the limit set of M_{gf} to that of N^h. Further, the limit set of N^h is locally connected. This answers in part a question attributed to Thurston.
The space of measured laminations $\mathcal{ML}(Σ)$ associated to a topological surface $Σ$ of genus $g$ with $n$ punctures is an integral piecewise linear manifold of real dimension $6g-6+2n$. There is also a natural symplectic structure on $\mathcal{ML}(Σ)$ defined by Thurston. The integral and symplectic structures define a pair of measures on $\mathcal{ML}(Σ)$ which are known to be proportional. The projective class of these measures on $\mathcal{ML}(Σ)$ is called the Thurston measure. In this note we compute the ratio between two normailzations of the Thurston measure.
We show that Cannon-Thurston maps exist for degenerate free groups without parabolics, i.e. for handlebody groups. Combining these techniques with earlier work proving the existence of Cannon-Thurston maps for surface groups, we show that Cannon-Thurston maps exist for arbitrary finitely generated Kleinian groups without parabolics, proving conjectures of Thurston and McMullen. We also show that point pre-images under Cannon-Thurston maps for degenerate free groups without parabolics correspond to end-points of leaves of an ending lamination in the Masur domain, whenever a point has more than …
Mahan Mitra (Mj) proved Cannon--Thurston maps exist for normal hyperbolic subgroups of a hyperbolic group. We prove that Cannon--Thurston maps do not exist for infinite normal hyperbolic subgroups of non-hyperbolic CAT(0) groups with isolated flats with respect to the visual boundaries. We also show Cannon--Thurston maps do not exist for infinite infinite-index normal CAT(0) subgroups with isolated flats in non-hyperbolic CAT(0) groups with isolated flats. We obtain a structure theorem for the normal subgroups in these settings and show that outer automorphism groups of hyperbolic groups have …
Baker and Riley proved that a free group of rank 3 can be contained in a hyperbolic group as a subgroup for which the Cannon-Thurston map is not well-defined. By using their result, we show that the phenomenon occurs for not only a free group of rank 3 but also every non-elementary hyperbolic group. In fact it is shown that a similar phenomenon occurs for every non-elementary relatively hyperbolic group.
We show that the length function of a measured geodesic lamination is convex in Thurston's shear coordinates over Teichmüller space and strictly convex for generic laminations. We give some consequences of this result in the context of Thurston's asymmetric metric on Teichmüller space.
For a Coxeter group $W$ we have an associating bi-linear form $B$ on a real vector space. We assume that $B$ has the signature $(n-1,1)$. In this case we have the Cannon-Thurston map for $W$, that is, a $W$-equivariant continuous surjection from the Gromov boundary of $W$ to the limit set of $W$. We focus on the case where Coxeter groups contain affine special subgroups.
We prove the existence of continuous boundary extensions (Cannon-Thurston maps) for the inclusion of a vertex space into a tree of (strongly) relatively hyperbolic spaces satisfying the qi-embedded condition. This implies the same result for inclusion of vertex (or edge) subgroups in finite graphs of (strongly) relatively hyperbolic groups. This generalises a result of Bowditch for punctured surfaces in 3 manifolds and a result of Mitra for trees of hyperbolic metric spaces.
In genus two and higher, the fundamental group of a closed surface acts naturally on the curve complex of the surface with one puncture. Combining ideas from previous work of Kent--Leininger--Schleimer and Mitra, we construct a universal Cannon--Thurston map from a subset of the circle at infinity for the closed surface group onto the boundary of the curve complex of the once-punctured surface. Using the techniques we have developed, we also show that the boundary of this curve complex is locally path-connected.
Let $1\to (K,K_1)\to (G,N_G(K_1))\to(Q,Q_1)\to 1$ be a short exact sequence of pairs of finitely generated groups with $K$ strongly hyperbolic relative to proper subgroup $K_1$. Assuming that for all $g\in G$ there exists $k\in K$ such that $gK_1g^{-1}=kK_1k^{-1}$, we prove that there exists a quasi-isometric section $s\colon Q \to G$. Further we prove that if $G$ is strongly hyperbolic relative to the normalizer subgroup $N_G(K_1)$ and weakly hyperbolic relative to $K_1$, then there exists a Cannon-Thurston map for the inclusion $i\colonΓ_K\to Γ_G$.
We give an overview of the theory of Cannon-Thurston maps which forms one of the links between the complex analytic and hyperbolic geometric study of Kleinian groups. We also briefly sketch connections to hyperbolic subgroups of hyperbolic groups and end with some open questions.
For a Coxeter group $W$ we have an associating bi-linear form $B$ on suitable real vector space. We assume that $B$ has the signature $(n-1,1)$ and all the bi-linear form associating rank $n' (\ge 3)$ Coxeter subgroups generated by subsets of $S$ has the signature $(n',0)$ or $(n'-1,1)$. Under these assumptions, we see that there exists the Cannon-Thurston map for $W$, that is, the $W$-equivariant continuous surjection from the Gromov boundary of $W$ to the limit set of $W$. To see this we construct an isometric action of $W$ on an ellipsoid with the Hilbert metric. As a consequence, we see th…
Let $G$ be a non-elementary word-hyperbolic group acting as a convergence group on a compact metrizable space $Z$ so that there exists a continuous $G$-equivariant map $i:\partial G\to Z$, which we call a \emph{Cannon-Thurston map}. We obtain two characterzations (a dynamical one and a geometric one) of conical limit points in $Z$ in terms of their pre-images under the Cannon-Thurston map $i$. As an application we prove, under the extra assumption that the action of $G$ on $Z$ has no accidental parabolics, that if the map $i$ is not injective then there exists a non-conical limit point $z\in Z…
We show that for a strongly convergent sequence of purely loxodromic finitely generated Kleinian groups with incompressible ends, Cannon-Thurston maps, viewed as maps from a fixed base limit set to the Riemann sphere, converge uniformly. For algebraically convergent sequences we show that there exist examples where even pointwise convergence of Cannon-Thurston maps fails.
Thurston's boundary to the universal Teichmüller space $T(\mathbb{D})$ is the space $PML_{bdd}(\mathbb{D})$ of projective bounded measured laminations of $\mathbb{D}$. A geodesic ray in $T(\mathbb{D})$ is of Teichmüller type if it shrinks vertical foliation of an integrable holomorphic quadratic differential. In a prior work we established that each Teichmüller geodesic ray limits to a multiple (by the reciprocal of the length of the leaves) of vertical foliation of the quadratic differential. Certain non-integrable holomorphic quadratic differential induce geodesic rays and we consider their …
We establish a Cauchy type inequality for the geometric intersection number between two 1-dimensional submanifolds in a surface. Some of the basic results in Thurston's theory of measured laminations on surfaces are derived from the Cauchy inequality.
A measured laminations on the universal hyperbolic solenoid $§$ is, by our definition, a leafwise measured lamination with appropriate continuity for the transverse variations. An earthquakes on theuniversal hyperbolic solenoid $§$ is uniquely determined by a measured lamination on $§$; it is a leafwise earthquake with the leafwise earthquake measure equal to the leafwise measured lamination. Leafwise earthquakes fit together to produce a new hyperbolic metric on $§$ which is transversely continuous and we show that any two hyperbolic metrics on $§$ are connected by an earthquake. We also esta…
This paper gives a detailed analysis of the Cannon--Thurston maps associated to a general class of hyperbolic free group extensions. Let $F_N$ denote a free groups of finite rank $N\ge 3$ and consider a \emph{convex cocompact} subgroup $Γ\le Out(F_N)$, i.e. one for which the orbit map from $Γ$ into the free factor complex of $F_N$ is a quasi-isometric embedding. The subgroup $Γ$ determines an extension $E_Γ$ of $F_N$, and the main theorem of Dowdall--Taylor \cite{DT1} states that in this situation $E_Γ$ is hyperbolic if and only if $Γ$ is purely atoroidal. Here, we give an explicit geometric d…
For any atoroidal iwip $ϕ\in Out(F_N)$ the mapping torus group $G_ϕ=F_N\rtimes_ϕ<t>e$ is hyperbolic, and the embedding $ι: F_N \overset{\lhd}{\longrightarrow} G_ϕ$ induces a continuous, $F_N$-equivariant and surjective {\em Cannon-Thurston map} $\hat ι: \partial F_N \to \partial G_ϕ$. We prove that for any $ϕ$ as above, the map $\hat ι$ is finite-to-one and that the preimage of every point of $\partial G_ϕ$ has cardinality $\le 2N$. We also prove that every point $S\in \partial G_ϕ$ with $\ge 3$ preimages in $\partial F_N$ has the form $(wt^m)^\infty$ where $w\in F_N, m\ne 0$, and that there a…
If M is an atoroidal 3-manifold with a taut foliation, Thurston showed that pi_1(M) acts on a circle. Here, we show that some other classes of essential laminations also give rise to actions on circles. In particular, we show this for tight essential laminations with solid torus guts. We also show that pseudo-Anosov flows induce actions on circles. In all cases, these actions can be made into faithful ones, so pi_1(M) is isomorphic to a subgroup of Homeo(S^1). In addition, we show that the fundamental group of the Weeks manifold has no faithful action on S^1. As a corollary, the Weeks manifold…
We prove that for any orientable connected surface of finite type which is not a a sphere with at most four punctures or a torus with at most two punctures, any homeomorphism of the space of geodesic laminations of this surface, equipped with the Thurston topology, is induced by a homeomorphism of the surface.
When 1 -> H -> G -> Q -> 1 is a short exact sequence of three infinite, word-hyperbolic groups, Mahan Mitra (Mj) has shown that the inclusion map from H to G extends continuously to a map between the Gromov boundaries of H and G. This boundary map is known as the Cannon-Thurston map. In this context, Mitra associates to every point z in the Gromov boundary of Q an "ending lamination" on H which consists of pairs of distinct points in the boundary of H. We prove that for each such z, the quotient of the Gromov boundary of H by the equivalence relation generated by this ending lamination is a de…
Given an Anosov representation $ρ\colon π_1(S) \to \PSL_{n}(\mathbb{R})$ and a maximal geodesic lamination $λ$ in a surface $S$, we construct shear deformations along the leaves of the geodesic lamination $λ$ endowed with a certain flag decoration, that is provided by the associated flag curve $\mathcal{F}_ρ\colon \Sinf \to \mathrm{Flag}(\mathbb{R}^n)$ of the Anosov representation $ρ$; these deformations generalize to Labourie's Anosov representations Thurston's cataclysms for hyperbolic structures on surfaces. A cataclysm is parametrized by a transverse $n$--twisted cocycle for the orientatio…
Given a hyperbolic subgroup $H$ of a hyperbolic group $G$ for which a Cannon-Thurston map $\hat i:\partial H \ra \partial G$ exists, we study the limit set $Λ_H$ of $H$ with respect to its action on $\partial G$. We prove that the set of conical limit points is exactly the subset of $Λ_H$ consisting of the points to which the Cannon-Thurston map $\hat i$ injects. Moreover, we show that when $H$ is not quasi-convex in $G$, there exists a non-conical limit point in $Λ_H$
Let $X_0$ be a complete borderless infinite area hyperbolic surface. We introduce Thurston's boundary to the Teichmüller space $T(X_0)$ of the surface $X_0$ using Liouville (geodesic) currents. Thurston's boundary to $T(X_0)$ is identified with the space $PML_{bdd}(X_0)$ of projective bounded measured laminations on $X_0$ which naturally extends Thurston's result for closed surfaces. Moreover, the quasiconformal mapping class group $MCG_{qc}(X_0)$ acts continuously on the closure $T(X_0)\cup PML_{bdd}(X_0)$.
We explicate a number of notions of algebraic laminations existing in the literature, particularly in the context of an exact sequence $$1\to H\to G \to Q \to 1 $$ of hyperbolic groups. These laminations arise in different contexts: existence of Cannon-Thurston maps; closed geodesics exiting ends of manifolds; dual to actions on $\R-$trees. We use the relationship between these laminations to prove quasiconvexity results for finitely generated infinite index subgroups of $H$, the normal subgroup in the exact sequence above.
For a closed surface S, the Hitchin component Hit_n(S) is a preferred component of the character variety consisting of group homomorphisms from the fundamental group pi_1(S) to the Lie group PSL_n(R). We construct a parametrization of the Hitchin component that is well-adapted to a maximal geodesic lamination on the surface. This is a natural extension of Thurston's parametrization of the Teichmueller space of S by shear coordinates associated to a maximal geodesic lamination, corresponding to the case n=2. However, significantly new ideas are needed in this higher dimensional case. The articl…
Thurston showed that the fundamental group of a close atoroidal 3-manifold admitting a co-oriented taut foliation acts faithfully on the circle by orientation-preserving homeomorphisms. This action on the circle is called a universal circle action due to its rich information. In this article, we first review Thurston's theory of universal circles and follow-up work of other authors. We note that the universal circle action of a 3-manifold group always admits an invariant lamination. A group acting on the circle with an invariant lamination is called a laminar group. In the second half of the p…
A cylindrical stretch line is a stretch line, in the sense of Thurston, whose horocyclic lamination is a weighted multicurve. In this paper, we show that two correctly parameterized cylindrical lines are parallel if and only if these lines converge towards the same point in Thurston's boundary of Teichmüller space.
We characterize which cobounded quasigeodesics in the Teichmueller space T of a closed surface are at bounded distance from a geodesic. More generally, given a cobounded lipschitz path gamma in T, we show that gamma is a quasigeodesic with finite Hausdorff distance from some geodesic if and only if the canonical hyperbolic plane bundle over gamma is a hyperbolic metric space. As an application, for complete hyperbolic 3-manifolds N with finitely generated, freely indecomposable fundamental group and with bounded geometry, we give a new construction of model geometries for the geometrically inf…
We show that for a taut foliation F with one-sided branching of an atoroidal 3-manifold M, one can construct a pair of genuine laminations with solid torus complementary regions which bind every leaf of F in a geodesic lamination. These laminations come from a universal circle, a refinement of the universal circles proposed by Thurston, which maps monotonely and group-equivariantly to each of the circles at infinity of the leaves of the universal cover of F, and is minimal with respect to this property. This circle is intimately bound up with the extrinsic geometry of the leaves of F. In parti…
Let $X$ be an infinite geodesically complete hyperbolic surface which can be decomposed into geodesic pairs of pants. We introduce Thurston's boundary to the Teichmüller space $T(X)$ of the surface $X$ using the length spectrum analogous to Thurston's construction for finite surfaces. Thurston's boundary using the length spectrum of $X$ is a "closure" of projective bounded measured laminations $PML_{bdd} (X)$, and it coincides with $PML_{bdd}(X)$ when $X$ can be decomposed into a countable union of geodesic pairs of pants whose boundary geodesics $\{α_n\}_{n\in\mathbb{N}}$ have lengths pinched…
One can associate to a complex projective structure on a surface holomorphic quadratic differential $Φ$ via the Schwarzian derivative and a bending lamination $λ$ via the Thurston parameterization. In this note we obtain upper bounds on the $L^2$-norm of $Φ$ in terms of the length of $λ$. The proof uses the theory of $W$-volume introduced by Krasnov-Schlenker.