Lattice Universes in 2+1-dimensional gravity

Lattice universes are spatially closed space-times of spherical topology in the large, containing masses or black holes arranged in the symmetry of a regular polygon or polytope. Exact solutions for such spacetimes are found in 2+1 dimensions for Einstein gravity with a non-positive cosmological constant. By means of a mapping that preserves the essential nature of geodesics we establish analogies between the flat and the negative curvature cases. This map also allows treatment of point particles and black holes on a similar footing.Comment: 14 pages 7 figures, to appear in Festschrift for Vince Moncrief (CQG

Fuchsian polyhedra in Lorentzian space-forms

Let S be a compact surface of genus >1, and g be a metric on S of constant curvature K\in\{-1,0,1\} with conical singularities of negative singular curvature. When K=1 we add the condition that the lengths of the contractible geodesics are >2\pi. We prove that there exists a convex polyhedral surface P in the Lorentzian space-form of curvature K and a group G of isometries of this space such that the induced metric on the quotient P/G is isometric to (S,g). Moreover, the pair (P,G) is unique (up to global isometries) among a particular class of convex polyhedra, namely Fuchsian polyhedra. This extends theorems of A.D. Alexandrov and Rivin--Hodgson concerning the sphere to the higher genus cases, and it is also the polyhedral version of a theorem of Labourie--Schlenker