The diagonal slice of Schottky space (Q2398918)

Let \(F_2\) be the free group of two generators \(X\) and \(Y\). An irreducible representation \(\rho:F_2\to \operatorname{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})\) is determined up to conjugation by three traces \(x=\operatorname{Tr}\rho(X)\), \(y=\operatorname{Tr}\rho(Y)\) and \(z=\operatorname{Tr}\rho(XY)\). If the representation is faithful, discrete, purely loxodromic and geometrically finite, then the quotient space \(\mathbb{H}^3/\rho(F_2)\) is a genus-two handlebody. The Schottky space \(\mathcal{SCH}\) is described as the set of all such representations. The Bowditch set \(\mathcal{B}\) is described as the set of \((x,y,z)\in \mathbb{C}^3\) corresponding to irreducible representations with some conditions on the traces of the primitive elements of \(F_2\). The set \(\mathcal{B}\) is an open subset of \(\mathbb{C}^3\) on which Out\((F_2)\) acts properly discontinuously. In the paper under review the authors consider the diagonal slice \(\Delta\), namely the locus satisfying \(x=y=z\), of the character variety, and show a figure to compare \(\mathcal{SCH}\cap\Delta\) with \(\mathcal{B}\cap\Delta\) in the \(x\)-plane. For the problem to determine \(\mathcal{B}\), the authors give an algorithm based on the results in [\textit{B. H. Bowditch}, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 77, No. 3, 697--736 (1998; Zbl 0928.11030); the second author et al., Adv. Math. 217, No. 2, 761--813 (2008; Zbl 1158.57023)]. For the problem to find \(\mathcal{SCH}\cap \Delta\), the authors make use of the order-3 symmetry of a corresponding handlebody and reduce it to a similar problem of determining the Riley slice of \(\mathcal{SCH}\), which is solved by a similar method of pleating rays developed in [\textit{L. Keen} and the first author, Proc. Lond. Math. Soc., III. Ser. 69, No.1, 72--90 (1994; Zbl 0807.30031)].