Hyperbolic convex cores and simplicial volume (Q2461388)

Let \(M\) be a compact oriented \(3\)-manifold with nonempty incompressible boundary so that the interior of \(M\) admits a complete convex cocompact hyperbolic metric. Let \(D(M)\) be the doubled manifold, \(N\) a hyperbolic \(3\)-manifold homotopy equivalent to \(M\), and \(C_{N}\) the convex core of \(N\). The author proves the inequality \(\text{Vol}(C_{N})\geq \frac{1}{2}\text{SimpVol}(D(M))\), where SimpVol denotes simplicial volume [for an introduction to simplicial volume in the context of \(3\)-manifolds, see \textit{W. P. Thurston}, The geometry and topology of three-manifolds, Lecture Notes, Math. Dept., Princeton Univ., Princeton, Chapter 6 (1980) (1997; Zbl 0873.57001)], and, moreover, if equality holds, then \(M\) is acylindrical, \(N\) is convex cocompact, and \(\partial C_{N}\) is totally geodesic. This is the Kleinian version of a theorem due to \textit{G. Besson, G. Courtois} and \textit{S. Gallot} [Geom. Funct. Anal. 5, No. 5, 731--799 (1995; Zbl 0851.53032)]. The two main tools used to prove this result are an inequality of \textit{J. Souto} [Geometric structures on \(3\)-manifolds and their deformations, PhD dissertation, Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn, Bonn, Germany (2001)] and a previous result of the author [Comment. Math. Helv. 82, No. 1, 133--173 (2007; Zbl 1118.53046), Theorem 8.1], building on the work of G. Besson, G. Courtois and S. Gallot (op. cit.). Using the work of \textit{F. Bonahon} and \textit{J.-P. Otal} [Ann. Math. (2) 160, 1013--1055 (2005; Zbl 1083.57063)] as well as results due to \textit{B. H. Bowditch} [Comment. Math. Helv. 69, No. 1, 49--81 (1994; Zbl 0967.53022)], \textit{C. T. McMullen} [Renormalization and 3-manifolds which fiber over the circle. Ann. Math. Stud. 142, Princeton Univ. Press, Princeton (1996; Zbl 0860.58002)], and \textit{E. C. Taylor} [Commun. Anal. Geom. 5, No. 3, 497--533 (1997; Zbl 0896.20033)], the above inequality is proved to be sharp in every pleating variety of the deformation space. The author's results solve Bonahon's conjecture, namely the topological invariant \(\inf\{\text{Vol}(C_{N})\mid N\) hyperbolic and homeomorphic to int\((M)\}\) equals \(\frac{1}{2} \text{SimpVol}(D(M))\). A pared version of this last result is also proved.