Iteration on Teichmüller space (Q910057)

This paper contains the first published proof of a theorem of Thurston about hyperbolic structures on 3-manifolds. This theorem constitutes a key step in the proof of the Thurston's geometrization theorem and deals with the following situation. Let M be a 3-manifold with incompressible boundary, and let \(\tau\) : \(\partial M\to \partial M\) be an orientation- reversing involution. Let M/\(\tau\) be the result of glueing M with itself by \(\tau\). Suppose that M has a geometrically finite hyperbolic structure. Then the theorem asserts that M/\(\tau\) has a hyperbolic structure iff M/\(\tau\) is a-toroidal. This theorem can be reduced to the existence of a fixed point of the so- called skinning map of the Teichmüller space of \(\partial M\) associated with M and \(\tau\). (This reduction is due to Thurston himself.) The author proves the existence of such a fixed point by studying iterations of this map and applying the results of his previous paper ``Amenability, Poincaré series and quasiconformal maps'' [Invent. Math. 97, 95-127 (1989; Zbl 0672.30017)].