Universal constructions in Teichmüller theory (Q2365611)

A new model \(\text{Tess}=\text{Möb}\backslash\text{Tess}'\) of a universal Teichmüller space is studied, which is defined to be the collection \(\text{Tess}'\) of all ideal tesselations of the Poincaré disk (together with a distinguished oriented edge) modulo the natural action of the Möbius group Möb. It is shown that Tess is an infinite- dimensional Fréchet manifold with canonical global coordinates. There are a universal symplectic form \(\omega\) on Tess (which generalizes the classical Weil-Petersson Kähler two-forms) and a group \(\overline{\mathcal G}\) (which generalizes the classical mapping class groups) acting on Tess and preserving \(\omega\). Tess is isomorphic to the right coset space of Möb in the group \(\text{Homeo}_ +\) of all orientation-preserving homeomorphisms of the circle. Tess naturally generalizes Bers' universal Teichmüller space as well as the right coset space of Möb in the subgroup of \(C^ \infty\) smooth elements of \(\text{Homeo}_ +\). The latter model supports the Kirillov-Kostant two-form and the universal symplectic form \(\omega\) pulls back to this two-form. Furthermore there is an associated universal decorated Teichmüller space \(\widetilde{\text{Tess}}\) which is a Frechét manifold on which \(\overline{\mathcal G}\) acts. There is moreover a \(\overline{\mathcal G}\)- invariant cell-decomposition of \(\widetilde{\text{Tess}}\) which generalizes the cell-decompositions of the classical decoreated Teichmüller spaces. The natural isomorphism between \(\text{Tess}'\) and \(\text{Homeo}_ +\) leads to the problem of characterizing various families of homeomorphisms in terms of the corresponding tesselations. One such problem is partially solved in joint work with D. Sullivan.