Uniform hyperbolicity of the curve graph via surgery sequences (Q488567)

Let \(S = S_{g,p}\) be a topologically finite surface, i.e. it is homeomorphic to a closed surface of genus \(g\) minus a finite set of \(p\) distinct points. The graph of curves \({\mathcal C}_1(S)\) is a non-locally finite simplicial graph defined as follows. Its vertex set is the set of (homotopy classes of) simple closed curves which are not homotopic to a loop around a puncture, and two such are connected by an edge when they can be represented by disjoint curves. It is the one-skeleton of a higher-dimensional complex, called the complex of curves of \(S\) and denoted \({\mathcal C}(S)\). The latter was proven to be an hyperbolic metric space by \textit{H. A. Masur} and \textit{Y. N. Minsky} in [Invent. Math. 138, No. 1, 103--149 (1999; Zbl 0941.32012)], however it is not known if the optimal hyperbolicity constant is bounded independently of \(g,p\) or not. It follows easily from the result of Masur-Minsky that the 1-skeleton \({\mathcal C}^{(1)}(S)\) is also hyperbolic, and the present paper provides a proof that for the latter, the hyperbolicity is indeed uniform (i.e. the constant does not depend on \(g,p\)). This result has recently been proven independently by several other authors, namely \textit{T. Aougab} [Geom. Topol. 17, No. 5, 2855--2875 (2013; Zbl 1273.05050)], \textit{B. H. Bowditch} [Pac. J. Math. 269, No. 2, 269--280 (2014; Zbl 1330.57023)], and S. Hensel, P. Przytycki and R. Webb [``Slim unicorns and uniform hyperbolicity for arc graphs and curve graphs'', \url{arXiv:1301.5577}] -- the latter actually obtain that all \({\mathcal C}^{(1)}(S)\) are 17-hyperbolic. The proof of uniform hyperbolicity in the present paper is inspired by the proof of the hyperbolicity of the free factor graph (the analogue of the curve complex for the free group) by \textit{M. Handel} and \textit{L. Mosher} [Geom. Topol. 17, No. 3, 1581--1672 (2013; Zbl 1278.20053)] and its re-proof by \textit{A. Hillion} and \textit{C. Horbez} [The hyperbolicity of the sphere complex via surgery paths, \url{arXiv:1210.6183}]. The authors prove that the so-called arc and curve graph \({\mathcal AC}^{(1)}(S)\) of a surface \(S'\) with nonempty boundary (where in addition to closed simple curves one considers simple arcs with endpoints on the boundary) is hyperbolic, from which the hyperbolicity of curves graphs follows since \({\mathcal C}^{(1)}(S)\) is quasiconvex in \({\mathcal AC}^{(1)}(S)\) and the curve graph of a closed surface embeds as a quasiconvex subspace in some \({\mathcal C}^{(1)}(S)\). The uniform hyperbolicity of \({\mathcal AC}^{(1)}(S)\) is proven using the same criterion as in Masur-Minsky, applied to the family of so-called surgery paths which connect systems of disjoint arcs and curves through elementary operations.