Margulis numbers for Haken manifolds (Q1760412)

Let \(M\) be an orientable hyperbolic \(3\)-manifold. Then \(M=\mathbb{H}^3/\Gamma\), where \(\Gamma\) is a discrete and torsion-free subgroup of \(\mathrm{Isom}_+\mathbb{H}^3\). For \(\gamma\in \Gamma\) and \(P\in \mathbb{H}^3\), \(d_P(\gamma)=\mathrm{dist}(P,\gamma\cdot P)\). Then a Margulis number for \(M\) is defined to be a positive real number \(\mu\) such that for any \(P\in \mathbb{H}^3\), the subgroup of \(\Gamma\) generated by \(\{x\in \Gamma \mid d_P(x)<\mu\}\) has an abelian subgroup of finite index. The Margulis constant \(\mu(3)\) is the largest number which is a Margulis number for every hyperbolic \(3\)-manifold. The value of \(\mu(3)\) is unknown, but \(0.104\) is a known lower bound. The paper under review gives a larger lower bound for Margulis numbers of closed orientable hyperbolic Haken \(3\)-manifolds. In fact, it works even for any orientable \(3\)-manifold which is homeomorphic to the interior of a Haken \(3\)-manifold. Precisely, the main result claims that \(0.286\) is a Margulis number for orientable hyperbolic \(3\)-manifolds \(M\) which are homeomorphic to the interiors of Haken manifolds. Moreover, if \(M\) is closed and contains a semi-fiber, or \(H_1(M;\mathbb{Q})\neq 0\), then \(0.292\) is a Margulis number for \(M\).