Random veering triangulations are not geometric (Q2032448)

Let \(M_\varphi\) be a hyperbolic 3-manifold obtained as the mapping torus of a pseudo-Anosov homeomorphism \(\varphi\) of a hyperbolic surface \(S\) (so \(M\) fibers over the circle with fiber \(S\) and monodromy \(\varphi\)). By drilling out the singularities of the \(\varphi\)-invariant foliation on \(S\), a punctured surface \(S_0\) is obtained with a restricted pseudo-Anosov map \(\varphi_0\) whose mapping torus \(M_{{\varphi_0}}\) is a surgery parent of \(M_\varphi\); \textit{I. Agol} [Contemp. Math. 560, 1--17 (2011; Zbl 1335.57026)] used train tracks to produce an ideal triangulation \(\tau = \tau_\varphi\) of \(M_{\varphi_0}\) called the \textit{veering triangulation associated to \(\varphi\)} (an alternative description of the veering triangulation is given in a paper by \textit{F. Guéritaud} [J. Topol. 9, No. 3, 957--983 (2016; Zbl 1354.57025)]). The ideal triangulation \(\tau\) is called \textit{geometric} if the complete hyperbolic structure of \(M_{\varphi_0}\) can be obtained by taking only positively oriented ideal hyperbolic tetrahedra, in bijection with the 3-simplices of \(\tau\), and gluing them by isometries in the combinatorial pattern of \(\tau\). Agol asked whether veering triangulations are always geometric. However, ``it is now clear that geometric veering triangulations are exceedingly rare. This was shown experimentally by \textit{W. Worden} [Exp. Math. 29, No. 1, 101--122 (2020; Zbl 1436.57022)] who tested over 800,000 examples on a high-performance computing cluster'' (the first example of a non-geometric veering triangulation was found by \textit{C. D. Hodgson} et al. [Exp. Math. 25, No. 1, 17--45 (2016; Zbl 1337.57043)], also by a computer search). In the present paper, ``we show that generically, \(\tau_\varphi\) is not geometric. Here, the word ``generic'' can be taken either with respect to random walks in mapping class groups or with respect to counting geodesics in moduli space. Tools in the proof include Teichmüller theory, the Ending Lamination Theorem, study of the Thurston norm, and rigorous computation.''