Minimal length of two intersecting simple closed geodesics (Q946867)

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Minimal length of two intersecting simple closed geodesics
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    Minimal length of two intersecting simple closed geodesics (English)
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    25 September 2008
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    Let two simple closed geodesics on a hyperbolic Riemann surface intersect with each other \(n\) times. Then the authors show the existence of a universal constant \(L_n>0\) such that the length of the longest of the two geodesics is bounded below by \(L_n\), where \(L_n \to \infty\) as \(n \to \infty\). For the sharpness of \(L_n\), it is shown that there exists a surface \(S_n\) that admits two simple closed geodesics of both length \(L_n\) intersecting \(n\) times. It is proved for \(n=2,3\) that the surfaces \(S_2\) and \(S_3\) are once-punctured tori with non-trivial (non-isomorphic to \({\mathbb{Z}}_2\)) isometry groups, and the values \(L_2\) and \(L_3\) are determined explicitly. It is mentioned that \(L_2\) as well as \(L_1\) are already known, but authors' proof for \(L_2\) is new, and noted that \(S_1=S_2\). Furthermore, the authors describe the asymptotic behavior of \(L_n\).
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    once-punctured torus
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    intersection number
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