Commutators, collars and the geometry of Möbius groups (Q1326645)

The article under review deals with inequalities for two-generator discrete groups containing at least one elliptic generator. It is very well-known by the Shimizu-Leutbecher lemma that if in the discrete non-elementary group \(G= \langle f,g\rangle\subset \text{PSL}_ 2 C\) one of the generators \(f\) or \(g\) is parabolic then \(|\text{tr}[f,g]- 2|\geq 1\), where \([f,g]\) is the commutator \(fgf^{-1} g^{-1}\). The first result of the paper extends the above inequality by showing that if a) one of the generators is elliptic of order \(n\geq 3\); b) the group \(\langle f,g\rangle\) is non-elementary and discrete; c) \(\text{tr}[f,g]\neq \text{tr}^ 2(g)- 4\) then \(|\text{tr}[f,g]- 2|\geq\cos(2\pi/7)- 1= 0.2469\dots\) . Further, the authors give sharp lower bounds for the function \(\delta(f,g)= \rho(\text{axis}(f),\text{axis}(g))\) for the axes in \({\mathbf H}^ 3\) of two elliptic isometries in a discrete subgroup of \(\text{PSL}_ 2 C\). One of the results shows that if \(f\) and \(g\) are elliptics of order \(n\geq 3\) then either \(\delta(f,g)= 0\) (the case of elementary group) or \(\delta(f,g)\geq b(n)\), where \(b(n)\) is a constant (e.g., if \(n\geq 7\) then \(b(n)\geq 1.090\dots\)). The above inequality is sharp for each \(n\geq 3\) and the authors produce series of examples when it is attained. In the subsequent paper this result is used to obtain the sharp lower bound of 0.03905\dots for the volume of hyperbolic orbifold whose uniformizing group contains an elliptic group of order \(n\geq 4\). Previously the best known lower bound was due to B. Meyerhoff equal to 0.0000017. Reviewer's remark: The lower sharp bounds for distinct icosahedral fixed points (whose stabilizer is isomorphic to \(A_ 5\)) in discrete subgroups of \(\text{PSL}_ 2 C\) are given in the earlier papers by \textit{D. A. Derevnin} and \textit{A. D. Mednykh} [Sov. Math. Dokl. 37, No. 3, 614--617 (1988); translation from Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 300, No. 1, 27--30 (1988; Zbl 0713.30044) and Vopr. Algebry 4, 173--181 (1989; Zbl 0709.51023)].