Duality structures and discrete conformal variations of piecewise constant curvature surfaces (Q2411328)

The authors study a triangulation of a manifold endowed with an additional geometric structure constructed by assigning constant curvature geometries (Euclidean, hyperbolic, or spherical) to the simplices (as these simplices are uniquely determined by their edge lengths). Additional geometric structure leads to a notion of discrete conformal structure, generalizing circle packings and their generalizations as studied by W. Thurston and others. The authors analyze discrete conformal variations of piecewise constant curvature 2-manifolds making precise the parametrization of these geometric structures by partial edge lengths and giving particular attention to the variation of angles. They define the general form of discrete conformal structures based on an axiomatic development related to conformal variation of angle, and derive a local classification of such structures. The axiomatic development of conformal structure follows that in [\textit{D. Glickenstein}, J. Differ. Geom. 87, No. 2, 201--238 (2011; Zbl 1243.52014)] for piecewise Euclidean surfaces, while the construction in piecewise hyperbolic and spherical surfaces is new. The general formulas for angle and curvature variation of piecewise hyperbolic and spherical surfaces are new, generalizing circle packings and other discrete conformal structures previously studied by many authors. The local classification of discrete conformal structures, giving explicit formulas for the structures, is new for each geometry including Euclidean.