The asymptotic behavior of least pseudo-Anosov dilatations (Q1022519)

Let \(S=S_{g,n}\) be an orientable surface with genus \(g\) and \(n\) marked points. By \(Mod(S)\) the group of homotopy classes of orientation preserving homeomorphisms of \(S\) is denoted. Let \(\lambda (f)\) denote the dilatation of \(f\) and let \(l_{g,n}\) be the logarithm of the minimal dilatation of a pseudo Anosov homeomorphism of \(S\), i. e. \(l_{g,n}=\min\{\log \lambda (f); f\in Mod(S_{g,n}) \text{pseudo-Anosov}\}\). It is shown that for any fixed \(g\geq 2\) there is \(c_g\geq 1\) such that \(\frac{\log n}{c_gn}<l_{g,n}<\frac{c_g \log n}{n}\) for \(n\geq 3\). This is in contrast with results for genus zero or one.