Stability of quasi-geodesics in Teichmüller space (Q976831)

The main focus of the paper under review is the study of quasi-geodesics in Teichmüller space. Quasi-geodesics include in their definition an additive term which implies they need not even be continuous. Large scale properties, however, are more amenable to study. \textit{H. Masur} and \textit{Y. Minsky} [Contemp. Math. 256, 239--241 (2000; Zbl 0960.30033)] proved that quasi-geodesics in the thick part of Teichmüller space are not stable, i.e., there exists a quasi-geodesic not contained in any bounded neighbourhood of any geodesic. Let \(S\) be a surface of non-exceptional finite type. The main result of this paper is that a quasi-geodesic in the thick part of Teichmüller space of S is contained in the bounded neighbourhood of a geodesic if and only if it induces a quasi-geodesic in the curve graph \(\mathcal{CG}(S)\). This graph is formed by having vertices in the set \(\mathcal{C}(S)\) of homotopy classes of essential simple closed curves on \(S\), and vertices are connected by an edge if and only if the corresponding curves can be realised disjointly. The author points out several applications of this result, including the result that a quasi-convex set in the thick part of Teichmüller space is hyperbolic.