A disconnected deformation space of rational maps (Q1630367)

The deformation space of a branched cover \(f : (S^2, A) \longrightarrow (S^2,B)\) is a complex submanifold of a certain Teichmüller space, which consists of classes of marked rational maps \(F : (\mathbb{P}^1, A') \longrightarrow (\mathbb{P}^1,B')\) that are combinatorially equivalent to \(f\). In the case \(A = B\), under a mild assumption on \(f\), \textit{W.P. Thurston} [Lecture Notes; CBMS Conference, University of Minnesota at Duluth, 1983] gave a topological criterion for which the deformation space of \(f : (S^2, A) \longrightarrow (S^2,B)\) is nonempty, and he proved that it is always connected [\textit{A. Douady} et al., Acta Math., 171, 263--297 (1993; Zbl 0806.30027)]. The authors show that if \(A \subsetneq B\), then the deformation space need not be connected. They provide a family of quadratic rational maps for which the associated deformation spaces are disconnected; in fact, each has infinitely many components.