The Schwarzian derivative and conformally natural quasiconformal extensions from one to two to three dimensions (Q1190811)

The Schwarzian derivative of an analytic function is closely related to the injectivity and quasiconformally extensibility of the function. In this paper, the authors discuss the Schwarzian derivative \(Sf=({f''\over f'})-{1\over 2}({f''\over f'})^ 2\) of a smooth function \(f\) defined on an interval of the real line. Though there is no question about the injectivity criterion of \(f\), the problem of quasi-conformally extensibility is of interest. The main result is: Theorem 1. If \(f\) is a \(C^ 3\) function on \((-1,1)\), \(f'\neq 0\), and \[ {-4t\over 1-t}\leq(1-x^ 2)^ 2Sf\leq{4t\over 1+t} \] holds for some \(0\leq t<1\), then \(f\) has a conformally natural \(K(t)={1+t\over (1-t)^ 3}\)-quasiconformal extension \(E_ j(f)\), \((j=2,3)\), to the plane and to the space, preserving the upper half plane and the upper half space, respectively. Here ``conformally natural'' means in the sense of \textit{A. Douady} and \textit{C. J. Earle} [Acta Math. 157, 23-48 (1986; Zbl 0615.30005)] that \(A\cdot E_ j(f)=E_ j(f)=E_ j(A\cdot f)\) holds for any Möbius transformation \(A\) of \(\mathbb{C}\) preserving the real axis or of \(H^ 3\) preserving the vertical plane through the real axis. In constructing the extension \(E_ j(f)\), the authors apply the ideas ad methods of \textit{Ch. L. Epstein} [J. Reine Angew. Math. 372, 96-135 (1986; Zbl 0591.30018)]. The function \(f\) can also be defined on the upper semicircle of \(\{| z|=1\}\), then the corresponding condition is \[ {-4t\over 1-t}\leq 2(1\cos 2\theta)Sf(\theta)\leq(\theta)\leq{4t\over 1+t}, \] where \(\theta\) is the coordinate of the point on the semicircle.