Tightness and computing distances in the curve complex (Q715178)

The author computes effective bounds on certain intersection numbers among curves lying on a natural family of geodesics (called tight geodesics) in the curve graph of an exceptional surface. He also gives a finite time algorithm for constructing all tight geodesics between any two curves. The main Theorem of the paper is as follows: Theorem: Let \(\Sigma\) be any non-exceptional surface. There exists a computable function \(F : \mathbb{N} \rightarrow \mathbb{N}\) such that, for any tight geodesic \((\alpha_0, \cdots,\alpha_n)\) in the curve graph of \(\Sigma\), both the intersection numbers \(i(\alpha_0, \alpha_j)\) and \(i(\alpha_j, \alpha_n)\) are at most \(F(i(\alpha_0, \alpha_n))\) for each index \(j\). From this, the author recovers Masur-Minsky's Theorem about the existence of finitely many tight multigeodesics between any two vertices of the curve graph of a non-exceptional surface.