Simple loops on surfaces and their intersection numbers (Q5904082)

Given a compact orientable surface \(\Sigma = \Sigma _{g,r}\) of genus \(g\) with \(r\) \((r\geq 0)\) boundary components, let \({\mathcal S}={\mathcal S}(\Sigma)\) be the set of isotopy classes of essential simple loops on \(\Sigma\). \(f:{\mathcal S}(\Sigma)\to \mathbb R\) is called a geometric (intersection number) function, if there is a measured lamination \(m\) on \(\Sigma\) so that \(f(\alpha)\) is the measure of \(\alpha\) in \(m\). A subsurface \(\Sigma '\subset \Sigma\) is incompressible if each essential loop in \(\Sigma '\) is still essential in \(\Sigma\). In this paper the author gives a sketch of a proof of the following Theorem. Suppose \(\Sigma\) is a compact orientable surface of negative Euler number. Then a function \(f\) on \({\mathcal S}(\Sigma)\) is geometric if and only if for each incompressible subsurface \(\Sigma '\cong \Sigma _{1,1}\) or \(\Sigma _{0,4}\), the restriction \(f| _{{\mathcal S}(\Sigma ')}\) is geometric. Furthermore, geometric functions on \({\mathcal S}(\Sigma _{1,1})\) and \({\mathcal S}(\Sigma _{0,4})\) are characterized by two homogeneous equations in an intrinsic \(({\mathbb Q}P^1, PSL(2,{\mathbb Z}))\) structure on \({\mathcal S}(\Sigma)\).