Geometric approach to the Weil-Petersson symplectic form (Q2269700)

The Teichmüller space \(\mathcal{T}(R)\) of a compact Riemann surface \(R\) is a complex manifold whose tangent space at \(R\) is identified as the space of the harmonic Beltrami differentials on \(R\) and whose cotangent space at \(R\) is identified as the space of the holomorphic quadratic differentials on \(R\). The Weil-Petersson inner product on the cotangent space of the Teichmüller space \(\mathcal{T}(R)\) defines a Kähler metric on \(\mathcal{T}(R)\). The resulting Kähler form is known as the Weil-Petersson form which is denoted by \(\omega^{WP}\). \textit{S. Wolpert} [Comment. Math. Helv. 56, 132--135 (1981; Zbl 0467.30036), Ann. Math. (2) 115, 501--528 (1982; Zbl 0496.30039), Ann. Math. (2) 117, 207--234 (1983; Zbl 0518.30040), Am. J. Math. 107, 969--997 (1985; Zbl 0578.32039)] discovered the elegant formula \[ \omega^{WP}=\sum d l^i\wedge d \tau^i, \] where \(\{l^i,\tau^i\}\) are the Fenchel-Nielsen coordinates of the Teichmüller space. To establish the formula, two lemmas are needed. The first one is Gardiner's formula of the first variation of the geodesic length. Let \(f^{t\mu}: R \to R^{t\mu}\) be a family of quasiconformal mappings parameterized by a real parameter \(t\) with Beltrami coefficients \(t\mu\) where \(\mu\) is a harmonic Beltrami differential. Let \(\gamma\) be a simple closed curve in \(R\) and \(l_\gamma(R^{t\mu})\) be the length of the geodesic in \(R^{t\mu}\) which is isotopic to \(\gamma\). Then \[ \frac{d l_\gamma(R^{t\mu})}{dt}\bigg|_{t=0}= \frac2\pi \Re \int_R \mu \Theta_\gamma dx dy, \] where \(\Theta_\gamma\) is the Petersson series of \(\gamma\) which defines a holomorphic quadratic differential, and \(z=x+iy\) is the local coordinate of \(R\). The second one is the formula of the tangent vector of the Teichmüller space \(\mathcal{T}(R)\) determined by the Fenchel-Nielson twist. In fact, the Fenchel-Nielson twist along a geodesic \(\gamma\) in \(R\) produces a curve in the Teichmüller space \(\mathcal{T}(R)\), the tangent vector of this curve at the base point \(R\) is thought as the tangent vector determined by the Fenchel-Nielson twist which is denoted by \(\frac{\partial}{\partial \tau_\gamma}\). Then \[ \frac{\partial}{\partial \tau_\gamma}=-\frac{i}\pi y^2 \overline{\Theta_\gamma}. \] The paper under review gives another proof of Wolpert's formula about the Weil-Petersson form by establishing two corresponding lemmas. The first one is the first variation of the geodesic length. Let \(R^{s\mu}\) be a family of Riemann surfaces obtained from the deformation of the Riemann surface \(R\) in the direction \(\mu\), where \(s\) is a complex parameter, and \(\mu\) is a harmonic Beltrami differential. Then \[ \frac{d l_\gamma (R^{s\mu})}{d s}\bigg|_{s=0}=\frac12 \int_\gamma \mu. \] The second one is \[ \left(\frac{\partial}{\partial \tau_\gamma}, \varphi(z)dz^2\right)=\frac{i}2 \int_\gamma \varphi, \] where \(\varphi(z)dz^2\) is a holomorphic quadratic differential, and \((\;,\;)\) is the paring between a tangent vector and a cotangent vector of the Teichmüller space \(\mathcal{T}(R)\). In this paper, more general results are obtained. In fact, the first variation of the geodesic length of a family of compact, canonically polarized, complex manifolds is computed. The formula of the variation of the geodesic length in a Riemann surface is derived as a special case. The authors obtain the results using Kodaira-Spencer deformation theory instead of quasiconformal mappings and discrete groups. Their method can also be applied to the Teichmüller space of weighted punctured Riemann surfaces, i.e., hyperbolic surfaces with cone points.