Coordinates for the moduli space of flat PSL\((2,\mathbb{R})\)-connections (Q1774273)

Let \(\Sigma_{g,s}\) denote the punctured surface having genus \(g\) and \(s\) punctures. Its Euler characteristic is \(2-2g-s\). Let us suppose that the Euler characteristic is negative and that there is at least one puncture. Let \({\mathcal{M}}_{g,s}\) denote the moduli space of flat PSL\((2,{\mathbb{R}})\)-connections on \(\Sigma_{g,s}\) whose holonomies around the punctures are required to be parabolic. This space is easily seen to be a smooth manifold. In this article the author shows how to construct, in terms of ideal triangulations of \(\Sigma_{g,s}\), a collection of explicit coordinate charts for \({\mathcal{M}}_{g,s}\). The moduli space \({\mathcal{M}}_{g,s}\) is closely related to the Teichmüller space. Specifically, two of the components of \({\mathcal{M}} _{g,s}\) are isomorphic to the Teichmüller space and there is a principal \({\mathbb{R}}_{>0}^s\)-bundle over all of \({\mathcal{M}}_{g,s}\) whose restriction to either of the Teichmüller components gives the decorated Teichmüller space of \textit{R. C. Penner} [Commun. Math. Phys. 113, 299--339 (1987; Zbl 0642.32012)]. The special coordinate charts on \({\mathcal{M}}_{g,s}\) also extend those of Penner on the Teichmüller space itself.