Counting curves, and the stable length of currents (Q2178262)

Summary: Let \(\gamma_0\) be a curve on a surface \(\Sigma\) of genus \(g\) and with \(r\) boundary components and let \(\pi_1(\Sigma)\curvearrowright X\) be a discrete and cocompact action on some metric space. We study the asymptotic behavior of the number of curves \(\gamma\) of type \(\gamma_0\) with translation length at most \(L\) on \(X\). For example, as an application, we derive that for any finite generating set \(S\), of \(\pi_1(\Sigma)\) the limit \[\lim_{L\to\infty}\frac{1}{L^{6g-6+2r}}|\{\gamma : \text{ of type } \gamma_0 \text{ with } S \text{-translation length } \le L\}|\] exists and is positive. The main new technical tool is that the function which associates to each curve its stable length with respect to the action on \(X\) extends to a (unique) continuous and homogenous function on the space of currents. We prove that this is indeed the case for any action of a torsion free hyperbolic group.