Length distortion and the Hausdorff dimension of limit sets (Q4493427)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a quasi-Fuchsian (geometrically finite) Kleinian group. The boundary of the convex hull of the limit set of \(\Gamma\) is isometric to two copies of the hyperbolic plane. On each of these one can consider the ratio of the intrinsic to the extrinsic metric. The authors investigate the limit superior of this ratio along geodesics in the intrinsic metric and show that from each starting point this limit is constant for almost all directions, and the constant is independent of the starting point. This constant is at most the Hausdorff dimension of the limit set of \(\Gamma\); more is not known and elucidation of this question would be very interesting. As a consequence of their theorem the authors give a new proof of Bowen's result, namely that the Hausdorff dimension of the limit set of a quasi-Fuchsian group strictly exceeds 1 if the group is not Fuchsian. The proof of the main theorem makes use of the asymptotic theory of Kleinian groups and in particular Sullivan's extension of Hopf's ergodic theorem.