An elementary proof of Small's formula for null curves in \(\text{PSL}(2,\mathbb{C})\) and a analogue for Legendrian curves in \(\text{PSL}(2,\mathbb{C})\) (Q1411277)

The authors consider meromorphic curves \(F:M^2\to\text{PSl}(2,{\mathbb C})\) defined on a Riemann surface \(M^2\). \(F\) is called a null curve if \(dF\) has vanishing length in the biinvariant conformal metric of \(\text{PSl}(2,{\mathbb C})\). The following version of an explicit representation formula of \textit{A.~J.~Small} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc 122, No. 4, 1211--1220 (1994; Zbl 0823.53044)] assigning to any pair \((g,G)\) of meromorphic functions a null curve \(F\), is considered: \[ (g,G)\mapsto F=\left(\begin{matrix} A&B\\ C&D\end{matrix}\right)= \left(\begin{matrix} G\frac{da}{dG}-a&G\frac{db}{dG}-b\\ \frac{da}{dG}&\frac{db}{dG}\end{matrix}\right), a=\sqrt{\frac{dG}{dg}}, b=-g\,a. \] Conversely, given a null curve as above, \(g\) and \(G\) are reobtained from \(F\) as the \textit{hyperbolic Gauss map} \(G=dA/dC=dB/dD\) and the secondary Gauss map \(g=-dB/dA=-dD/dC\). \(F\) is called a Legendrian curve or contact curve if the pullback of the contact 1-form \(D\,dA-B\,dC\) under \(F\) vanishes. According to \textit{J. A. Gálvez}, \textit{A. Martinez} and \textit{F.\,Milán} [Math. Ann. 316, 419--435 (2000; Zbl 1003.53047)] they are related to flat surfaces in hyperbolic 3-space. For Legendrian curves an analogous explicit representation formula is given. The same ideas are applied a third time in the appendix for the derivation of an explicit representation formula for null curves in \({\mathbb C}^3\). The result is a special case of a formula considered by the reviewer in a recent paper [Natural algebraic representation formulas for curves in~\({\mathbb C}^3\), [Banach Cent. Publ. 57, 109--134 (2002; Zbl 1029.53012)]. Let us note that in the matrix \(F\) describing this formula (equation (A.4)) the signs of the first and second diagonal entry are wrong.