Lectures on hyperbolic geometry (Q1201986)

These polished lecture notes provide a readable account of recent results in hyperbolic geometry, assuming only some facility with Riemannian geometry and algebraic topology. They are organized into six chapters, labeled \(A\) through \(F\). The first two chapters treat the basic properties of \(n\)-dimensional hyperbolic manifolds, with occasional specialization to the case \(n=2\), culminating in the Fenchel-Nielsen parametrization of Teichmüller space. The third chapter gives a singular chains version of the Gromov-Thurston proof for the Mostow rigidity theorem in the compact case. Chapter \(D\) contains a proof of the Margulis lemma and some applications. Chapter \(E\) accounts for over a third of the book; it deals with the volume function on the space of \(n\)- dimensional hyperbolic manifolds; included are a proof of Wang's theorem \((n\geq 4)\) and an account of the Jorgensen-Thurston theory \((n=3)\). Here the authors provide a reorganized proof of Thurston's hyperbolic surgery theorem, avoiding apparent gaps in previous expositions. The final chapter sketches the theory of bounded cohomology, concluding with a section on Sullivan's conjecture and amenable groups. The text includes a spare but useful 2-page subject index, a notation index, and 175 very helpful line drawings.