Surface groups are frequently faithful (Q2501391)

For \(\Sigma\) a closed orientable hyperbolic surface, \(\pi=\pi_1 (\Sigma)\), the representation variety, \(\Hom(\pi, \mathrm{PSL}_2(K))\), \(K= \mathbb R,\mathbb C\), is considered. Theorem 2 states that for any nontrivial \(w \in\pi\) there is a representation \(\Phi:\pi\to \mathrm{PSL}_2(\mathbb R)\) such that \(\Phi(w)\) is nontrivial and \(e(\Phi)=3-2g\) the Euler number. From this and a result of Goldman by which the set of smooth points of \(\Hom(\pi,\mathrm{PSL}_2(\mathbb R))\) is dense in \(\Hom(\pi,\mathrm{PSL}_2 (\mathbb R))\) the main Theorem 1 is derived: the set of faithful representations is dense in \(\Hom(\pi,\mathrm{PSL}_2(K))\), \(K=\mathbb R,\mathbb C\). A similar result is obtained for \(\mathrm{PU}(2,1)\) using \textit{E. Z. Xia} [Pac. J. Math. 195, No. 2, 231--256 (2000; Zbl 1014.32010)]: For \(g\geq 3\) and any finite collection of nonidentity elements \(\{w_j\}\in\pi\), there is a representation \(\Phi: \pi\to \mathrm{PU}(2,1)\) with Toledo invariant \(2g-2-\tfrac 43\), such that \(\Phi (w_j)\) is nontrivial for all \(j\).