Hitchin components for orbifolds (Q6160169)

Let \(X\) be a closed oriented surface of geus \(\geq 2\). Inspired by the Teichmüller space of a closed orientable surface \(X\) of genus \(g\geq 2\) seen as a connected component of the space of conjugacy classes of discrete and faithful representations of \(\pi_1(X)\) into the Lie group \(\mathrm{PGL}(2, \mathbb{R})\), \textit{N. J. Hitchin}, in the paper [Topology 31, No. 3, 449--473 (1992; Zbl 0769.32008)], highlighted a special component of the space of conjugacy classes of the fundamental group \(\pi_1(X) \) in the split real form \(G\) of a complex simple Lie group. This component, which is homeomorphic to an open ball of dimension \((2g-2)\mathrm{dim}(G)\), is called now the \textit{Hitchin component} of the representation space of the surface group \(\pi_1(X)\) into \(G\). Motivated by Hitchin's work, the study of Hitchin components and of the geometry of the representations in such components became a very active field of investigation. \par In the paper under review, the authors generalize the notion of Hitchin components from fundamental groups of hyperbolic surfaces to those of compact 2-dimensional orbifolds with negative orbifold Euler characteristic. This gives new examples of the so-called higher Teichmüller spaces. The authors show that in the general case the Hitchin component associated with an orbifold group is homeomorphic to an open cell and they compute its dimension. As an application of this work, they give new information on the pressure metric, on cyclic Higgs bundles, and on the deformation theory of real projective structures on 3-manifolds. \par The authors note that the first works on ``Hitchin components'' (without the name) for orbifold fundamental groups are contained in the early work of \textit{W. P. Thurston} [The geometry and topology of 3-manifolds. Princeton University (1979)]. After Thurston, Hitchin components of orbifold fundamental groups were studied by \textit{S. Choi} and \textit{W. M. Goldman} [Am. J. Math. 127, No. 5, 1019--1102 (2005; Zbl 1086.57015)] and of \textit{F. Labourie} and \textit{G. McShane} [Duke Math. J. 149, No. 2, 279--345 (2009; Zbl 1182.30075)]. In the paper under review, the authors study in detail the general case, which makes this paper a fundamental reference.