Prescribed arc graphs (Q6972088)

Let \(\Sigma\) be a compact surface with boundary. The \textit{arc graph} is the graph whose vertices correspond to simple, properly embedded arcs in \(\Sigma\) up to isotopy. For non-exeptional surfaces this graph has infinite diameter and is Gromov hyperbolic [\textit{H. Masur} and \textit{S. Schleimer}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 26, No. 1, 1--62 (2013; Zbl 1272.57015)], and it is a useful tool in the study of mapping class groups and Teichmüller spaces.\N\NThis paper is concerned with so-called \textit{prescribed arc graphs}, where one considers only arcs which connect certain boundary components of \(\Sigma\). Precisely, let \(\Gamma\) be a graph whose vertex set is the set of boundary components of \(\Sigma\). Then \(\mathcal{A}(\Sigma, \Gamma)\) is the full subgraph of the arc graph spanned by those arcs which are connected by an edge (possibly loop) in \(\Gamma\).\N\NThe main results (Theorems 1.2 and 1.3) characterize exactly when these graphs are connected, of infinite diameter, and Gromov hyperbolic.\N\NIn the cases where these graphs are hyperbolic, this is shown by ``guessing geodesics''. The non-hyperbolicity of these graphs is due to disjoint \textit{witness subsurfaces}, i.e. the existence of disjoint subsurfaces \(\Sigma_1, \Sigma_2 \subset \Sigma\) which every arc in \(\mathcal{A}(\Sigma, \Gamma)\) intersects nontrivially.