Monodromy groups of projective structures on punctured surfaces (Q1802543)

Given a Fuchsian equation \(y''+R(z)y=0\) where \(R(z)\) is a rational function of \(z\), one studies the dependence of the projective monodromy group of the equation of the coefficients of \(R\). The problem was originated by Poincaré in his pioneering work on Fuchsian functions and Kleinian groups. The result in the paper shows that if the equation has no apparent and logarithmic singularities, then the monodromy representation locally determines the equation. To be more precise, a quasi-bounded holomorphic quadratic form on a punctured Riemann surface is a holomorphic quadratic form with at most double poles at the punctures. If the residue of a quasi-bounded form at a puncture \(p\) is \(- n^ 2/2\), \(n\in Z\), then \(p\) is called an apparent singularity. The following is proven. Let \(Q\) be the fiber bundle over the Teichmüller space \(T_{g,n}\) of surface \(S\) of type \((g,n)\) whose fiber over a point is the space of all quasi-bounded holomorphic forms without apparent singularities on the Riemann surface represented by the point, and let \(P\) be the monodromy map from \(Q\) to \(\Hom(\pi_ 1(S),\text{PSL}(2,C))/\text{PSL}(2,C)\). Then the derivative of \(P\) is injective from the tangent space of \(Q\) to the Zariski tangent space of \(\text{Hom}(\pi_ 1(S),\text{PSL}(2,C))/\text{PSL}(2,C)\). In particular, if \(P(\varphi)\) in \(\Hom(\pi_ i(S),\text{PSL}(2,C))/\text{PSL}(2,C)\) is a smooth point, then \(P\) is a local diffeomorphism at \(\varphi\). As a corollary, the space of all spherical (or hyperbolic) cone structures on surfaces \(S\) of type \((g,n)\) so that the cone angles are not \(2\pi m\), \(m\in Z\) (modulo isometries homotopic to the identity relative to the cusps) is locally parametrized by the monodromy map to \(\Hom(\pi_ 1(S),SO(3)\) (or \(\Hom(\pi_ 1(S),\text{PSL}(2,R))/\text{PSL}(2,R))\). Therefore Teichmüller space \(T_{g,n}\) for \(n>0\) supports a natural family of symplectic structures parametrized by the cone angles. The theorem is proven by combining the deformation theory of complex structures on Riemann surfaces (quasi-conformal deformation) and the deformations of Schwarzian derivatives. The variational formula for the monodromy representation was first derived by C. Earle. Using the variational formula, one estimates solutions of Fuchsian type equations in the variational formula near the punctured regions of Riemann surfaces and proves the result.