Quasiconformal homogeneity of genus zero surfaces (Q542038)

A Riemann surface \(M\) is called \(K\)-quasiconformally homogeneous if for every two points \(p,q \in M\), there is a \(K\)-quasiconformal homeomorphism \(f:M \to M\) such that \(f(p)=q\). This notion was introduced by \textit{F. W. Gehring} and \textit{B. P. Palka} [``Quasiconformally homogeneous domains'', J. Anal. Math. 30, 172--199 (1976; Zbl 0349.30019)] in the setting of genus zero surfaces. The paper under review answers a question by Gehring and Palka by proving the existence of a constant \(\mathcal{K} >1\) such that if \(M\) is a \(K\)-quasiconformal homogeneous hyperbolic genus zero surface that is not the unit disk \(\mathbb{D}\), then \(K \geq \mathcal{K}\). Using a result from Gehring and Palka on transitive conformal families, this implies that if \(M\) is a \(K\)-quasiconformal homogeneous genus zero surface for \(K<\mathcal{K}\), then \(M\) is conformally equivalent to either \(\mathbb{P}^1\), \(\mathbb{C}\), \(\mathbb{C} \setminus \{ 0 \}\) or \(\mathbb{D}\). The analagous problem in higher dimensions has been solved by \textit{P. Bonfert-Taylor, R. D. Canary, G. Martin} and \textit{E. Taylor} [``Quasiconformal homogeneity of hyperbolic manifolds'', Math. Ann. 331, No. 2, 281--295 (2005; Zbl 1063.30020)].