Infinite genus surfaces and irrational polygonal billiards (Q845792)

The classical Katok-Zemljakov construction associates to every rational angled polygon \(P\) a compact flat surface \(X(P)\) with finite conic singularities [\textit{A. N. Zemljakov} and \textit{A. B. Katok}, Mat. Zametki. 18, 291--300 (1975; Zbl 0315.58014)]. The genus of this surface is totally determined by the angles of the polygon. The Katok-Zemljakov construction, in the case of a general nondegenerate simply connected polygon \(P\), leads to a non-compact flat surface \(X(P)\). The main paper result is as follows. Theorem. Let \(\lambda_1\pi,\dots ,\lambda_N\pi\) be the interior angles of the polygon \(P\). Suppose that there exists \(j=1,\dots ,N\) such that \(\lambda_j\) is not a rational number. Then, the flat surface \(X(P)\) is homeomorphic to the Loch Ness monster, that is, the only infinite genus, orientable topological surface with exactly one end.