Minimal stretch maps between hyperbolic surfaces

This paper develops a theory of Lipschitz comparisons of hyperbolic surfaces analogous to the theory of quasi-conformal comparisons. Extremal Lipschitz maps (minimal stretch maps) and geodesics for the `Lipschitz metric' are constructed. The extremal Lipschitz constant equals the maximum ratio of lengths of measured laminations, which is attained with probability one on a simple closed curve. Cataclysms are introduced, generalizing earthquakes by permitting more violent shearing in both directions along a fault. Cataclysms provide useful coordinates for Teichmuller space that are convenient for computing derivatives of geometric function in Teichmuller space and measured lamination space.Comment: 53 pages, 11 figures, version of 1986 preprin

Hyperbolic Structures on 3-manifolds, III: Deformations of 3-manifolds with incompressible boundary

This is the third in a series of papers constructing hyperbolic structures on all Haken three-manifolds. This portion deals with the mixed case of the deformation space for manifolds with incompressible boundary that are not acylindrical, but are more complicated than interval bundles over surfaces. This is a slight revision of a 1986 preprint, with a few figures added, and slight clarifications of some of the text, but with no attempt to connect this to later developments such as groups acting on R-trees, etc.Comment: 19 pages, 4 figure

Hyperbolic Structures on 3-manifolds, II: Surface groups and 3-manifolds which fiber over the circle

Geometrization theorem, fibered case: Every three-manifold that fibers over the circle admits a geometric decomposition. Double limit theorem: for any sequence of quasi-Fuchsian groups whose controlling pair of conformal structures tends toward a pair of projectively measured laminations that bind the surface, there is a convergent subsequence. This preprint also analyzes the quasi-isometric geometry of quasi-Fuchsian 3-manifolds. This eprint is based on a 1986 preprint, which was refereed and accepted for publication, but which I neglected to correct and return. The referee's corrections have now been incorporated, but it is largely the same as the 1986 version (which was a significant revision of a 1981 version).Comment: 32 pages, 6 figures, revision of 1986 preprin

From rubber bands to rational maps: A research report

This research report outlines work, partially joint with Jeremy Kahn and Kevin Pilgrim, which gives parallel theories of elastic graphs and conformal surfaces with boundary. One one hand, this lets us tell when one rubber band network is looser than another, and on the other hand tell when one conformal surface embeds in another. We apply this to give a new characterization of hyperbolic critically finite rational maps among branched self-coverings of the sphere, by a positive criterion: a branched covering is equivalent to a hyperbolic rational map if and only if there is an elastic graph with a particular "self-embedding" property. This complements the earlier negative criterion of W. Thurston.Comment: 52 pages, numerous figures. v2: New example

Three-manifolds, Foliations and Circles, I

This paper investigates certain foliations of three-manifolds that are hybrids of fibrations over the circle with foliated circle bundles over surfaces: a 3-manifold slithers around the circle when its universal cover fibers over the circle so that deck transformations are bundle automorphisms. Examples include hyperbolic 3-manifolds of every possible homological type. We show that all such foliations admit transverse pseudo-Anosov flows, and that in the universal cover of the hyperbolic cases, the leaves limit to sphere-filling Peano curves. The skew R-covered Anosov foliations of Sergio Fenley are examples. We hope later to use this structure for geometrization of slithered 3-manifolds.Comment: 60 pages, 10 figure