Metrics with conical singularities on the sphere and sharp extensions of the theorems of Landau and Schottky (Q2430662)

Let \(\mathbb P\) denote the Riemann sphere endowed with its canonical complex structure and let \(\Omega\subseteq\mathbb P\) be a subdomain. We say that a conformal Riemannian metric \(\lambda(z)|dz|\) on \(\Omega\setminus\{p\}\) has a singularity of order \(\alpha\leq 1\) at the point \(p\in\Omega\) if, in local coordinates, \[ \log \lambda(z)=\begin{cases} -\alpha\log|z-p|+O(1)&\text{if \(\alpha<1\)},\\ - \log|z-p|-\log(-\log|z-p|) +O(1) &\text{if \(\alpha=1\),}\end{cases} \] as \(z\to p\). Geometrically, the singular surface \(\big(\Omega,\lambda(z)| dz|\big)\) looks like an ice-cream cone at \(p\) if \(\alpha<1\). If \(\alpha=1\), then \(\big(\Omega,\lambda(z)| dz|\big)\) has a cusp at \(p\). We call \(p\) a conical singularity, or a corner, of order \(\alpha\) if \(\alpha < 1\), and we call it a cusp if \(\alpha = 1\). It is well known that, for \(n\geq 3\), distinct points \(z_1,\dots,z_n\in\mathbb P\), and real parameters \(\alpha_1,\dots, \alpha_n\in (-\infty, 1]\), there exists a conformal metric on the \(n\)-punctured sphere \(\mathbb P\setminus\{z_1, \dots, z_n\}\) with constant curvature \(-1\) and singularities of order \(\alpha_j\) at \(z_j\) if and only if \(\sum_{j=1}^n\alpha_j>2.\) In this case, this metric is uniquely determined and called the generalized hyperbolic metric with singularities of order \(\alpha_j\) at \(z_j\). The authors are primarily interested in the case of the thrice-punctured sphere \(\mathbb P\setminus\{z_1,z_2,z_3\}\). Note that, in this case, \[ 0<\alpha_1\leq1,\quad 0<\alpha_2\leq1,\quad 0<\alpha_3\leq1,\quad \alpha_1 + \alpha_2 + \alpha_3 > 2. \] Define \[ \alpha:=\frac{\alpha_1+\alpha_2-\alpha_3}{2},\quad \beta:=\frac{\alpha_1+\alpha_2+\alpha_3-2}{2},\quad\gamma:=\alpha_1. \] Then \(0 <\beta \leq \alpha\) and \(\alpha +\beta\leq\gamma\leq 1\). Consider the hypergeometric functions \[ \varphi_1(z) := F\big(\alpha,\beta,\gamma;z\big),\quad \varphi_2(z) := F\big(\alpha,\beta,\alpha+\beta-\gamma + 1; 1 -z\big). \] Note that \(\varphi_1\) is analytic in \(\mathbb C\setminus [1,+\infty)\) and \(\varphi_2\) is analytic in \(\mathbb C\setminus[-\infty,0)\). An explicit formula for the generalized hyperbolic metric on the thrice-punctured sphere \(\mathbb P\setminus\{z_1, z_2, z_3\}\) is obtained. Theorem (corners at \(z = 0\) and \(z = 1\)). Let \(0 < \alpha_1,\alpha_2 < 1\) and \(0 < \alpha_3\leq 1\) such that \(\alpha_1+\alpha_2+\alpha_3>2\). Then \[ \lambda_{\alpha_1,\alpha_2,\alpha_3}(z)=\frac{1}{|z|^{\alpha_1}|1-z|^{\alpha_2}}\cdot \frac{2K_3}{K_1|\varphi_1(z)|^2+K_2|\varphi_2(z)|^2+2\,\text{Re}\,(\varphi_1(z)\varphi_2(\overline z)}, \] where \[ K_1:=-\frac{\Gamma(\gamma-\alpha)\,\Gamma(\gamma-\beta)}{\Gamma(\gamma)\,\Gamma(\gamma-\alpha-\beta)}, \] \[ K_2:=-\frac{\Gamma(\alpha+1-\gamma)\,\Gamma(\beta+1-\gamma)}{\Gamma(1-\gamma)\,\Gamma(\alpha+\beta+1-\gamma)}, \] \[ K_3:=\sqrt{\frac{\sin(\pi\alpha)\sin(\pi\beta)}{\sin(\pi(\gamma-\alpha))\sin(\pi(\gamma-\beta))}}\cdot \frac{\Gamma(\alpha+\beta+1-\gamma)\,\Gamma(\gamma)}{\Gamma(\alpha)\,\Gamma(\beta)}. \] The previously known formulas for \(\lambda_{1,1,1}^{}(z)\) and \(\lambda_{1,1,\alpha_3}^{}(z)\), \(0<\alpha_3<1\), can be easily obtained from this theorem, letting \(\alpha_j\nearrow 1\) for \(j=1,2\). Precise and explicit lower bounds for \(\lambda_{\alpha_1,\alpha_2,\alpha_3} (z)\) are established. This extends the works of \textit{J. A. Hempel} [J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 20, 435--445 (1979; Zbl 0423.30005)] and \textit{D. Minda} [Complex Variables, Theory Appl. 8, 129-144 (1987; Zbl 0576.30022)]. As applications, using the above results, sharp versions of Landau and Schottky type theorems for analytic functions in the open unit disk omitting the values \(0\) and \(1\) are obtained.