SearcharxivSearch

arXiv subjects

Eriko Hironaka

Publications and source records attributed to Eriko Hironaka.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Standardly embedded train tracks and pseudo-Anosov maps with minimum expansion factor

We show that given a fully-punctured pseudo-Anosov map $f:S \to S$ whose punctures lie in at least two orbits under the action of $f$, the expansion factor $λ(f)$ satisfies the inequality $λ(f)^{|χ(S)|} \ge μ^4 \approx 6.85408$, where $μ= \frac{1 + \sqrt{5}}{2} \approx 1.61803$ is the golden ratio. The proof involves a study of standardly embedded train tracks, and the Thurston symplectic form defined on their weight space.

math.GT

Quotient families of mapping classes

Thurston's fibered face theory allows us to partition the set of pseudo-Anosov mapping classes on different compact oriented surfaces into subclasses with related dynamical behavior. This is done via a correspondence between the rational points on fibered faces in the first cohomology of a hyperbolic 3-manifold and the monodromies of fibrations of the 3-manifold over the circle. In this paper, we generalize examples of Penner, and define quotient families of mapping classes. We show that these mapping classes correspond to open linear sections of fibered faces. The construction gives a simple way to produce families of pseudo-Anosov mapping classes with bounded normalized dilatation and computable invariants, and gives concrete examples of mapping classes associated to sequences of points tending to the interior and to the boundary of fibered faces.

math.GT

The augmented deformation space of rational maps

The Epstein deformation space parameterizes marked rational maps with prescribed combinatorial and dynamical structure. For the family of quadratic rational maps with a periodic critical cycle of order 4 and an extra critical point not lying in this cycle, S. Koch and I recently showed that the deformation space has infinitely many connected components. In the present paper we study the augmented deformation space for this example, and show, in particular, that the closure of deformation space in augmented deformation space is also disconnected in this case.

math.DS

A disconnected deformation space of rational maps

Let $f:(\mathbb{P}^1,P)\to(\mathbb{P}^1,P)$ be a postcritically finite rational map with postcritical set $P$. William Thurston showed that $f$ induces a holomorphic pullback map $σ_f:\mathcal{T}_P\to\mathcal{T}_P$ on the Teichmüller space ${\mathcal T}_P:=\mathrm{Teich}(\mathbb{P}^1,P)$. If $f$ is not a flexible Lattès map, Thurston proved that $σ_f$ has a unique fixed point. In his PhD thesis, Adam Epstein generalized Thurston's ideas and defined a deformation space associated to a rational map $f:(\mathbb{P}^1,A)\to (\mathbb{P}^1,B)$ where $A \subseteq B$, allowing for maps $f$ which are not necessarily postcritically finite. By definition, the deformation space $\mathrm{Def}_B^A(f)\subseteq \mathcal{T}_B$ is the locus where the pullback map $σ_f:\mathcal{T}_B\to\mathcal{T}_A$ and the forgetful map $σ_A^B:\mathcal{T}_B\to\mathcal{T}_A$ agree. Using purely local arguments, Epstein showed that $\mathrm{Def}_B^A(f)$ is a smooth analytic submanifold of $\mathcal{T}_B$ of dimension $|B-A|$. In this article, we investigate the question of whether $\mathrm{Def}_B^A(f)$ is connected. We exhibit a family of quadratic rational maps for which the associated deformation spaces are disconnected; in fact, each has infinitely many components.

math.DS

On Coxeter mapping classes and fibered alternating links

Alternating-sign Hopf plumbing along a tree yields fibered alternating links whose homological monodromy is, up to a sign, conjugate to some alternating-sign Coxeter transformation. Exploiting this tie, we obtain results about the location of zeros of the Alexander polynomial of the fibered link complement implying a strong case of Hoste's conjecture, the trapezoidal conjecture, bi-orderability of the link group, and a sharp lower bound for the homological dilatation of the monodromy of the fibration. The results extend to more general hyperbolic fibered 3-manifolds associated to alternating-sign Coxeter graphs.

math.GT

Digraphs and cycle polynomials for free-by-cyclic groups

Let $ϕ\in \mbox{Out}(F_n)$ be a free group outer automorphism that can be represented by an expanding, irreducible train-track map. The automorphism $ϕ$ determines a free-by-cyclic group $Γ=F_n \rtimes_ϕ\mathbb Z,$ and a homomorphism $α\in H^1(Γ; \mathbb Z)$. By work of Neumann, Bieri-Neumann-Strebel and Dowdall-Kapovich-Leininger, $α$ has an open cone neighborhood $\mathcal A$ in $H^1(Γ;\mathbb R)$ whose integral points correspond to other fibrations of $Γ$ whose associated outer automorphisms are themselves representable by expanding irreducible train-track maps. In this paper, we define an analog of McMullen's Teichmüller polynomial that computes the dilatations of all outer automorphism in $\mathcal A$.

math.GT

Mapping classes associated to mixed-sign Coxeter graphs

We define a generalization of Coxeter graphs and an associated Coxeter system and Coxeter mapping class. These can be used to construct periodic Coxeter mapping classes on surfaces with arbitrarily large genus, preserving lots of symmetries. The periodic mapping classes can in turn be used to construct sequences of pseudo-Anosov mapping classes with bounded normalized dilatation and arbitrarily high genus. We show that the smallest known accumulation point of normalized dilatations can be realized by such a sequence.

math.GT

Generalized Lantern Relations and Planar Line Arrangements

In this paper we show that to each planar line arrangement defined over the real numbers, for which no two lines are parallel, one can write down a corresponding relation on Dehn twists that can be read off from the combinatorics and relative locations of intersections. This leads to an alternate proof of Wajnryb's generalized lantern relations, and of Endo, Mark and Horn-Morris' daisy relations.

math.GT

Small dilatation pseudo-Anosov mapping classes coming from the simplest hyperbolic braid

In this paper we study the minimum dilatation pseudo-Anosov mapping classes coming from fibrations over the circle of a single 3-manifold, the mapping torus for the "simplest pseudo-Anosov braid". The dilatations that arise include the minimum dilatations for orientable mapping classes for genus g=2,3,4,5,8 as well as Lanneau and Thiffeault's conjectural minima for orientable mapping classes, when g = 2,4 (mod 6). Our examples also show that the minimum dilatation for orientable mapping classes is strictly greater than the minimum dilatation for non-orientable ones when g = 4,6,8.

math.GT

A family of pseudo-Anosov braids with small dilatation

This paper describes a family of pseudo-Anosov braids with small dilatation. The smallest dilatations occurring for braids with 3, 4 and 5 strands appear in this family. A pseudo-Anosov braid with 2g+1 strands determines a hyperelliptic mapping class with the same dilatation on a genus-g surface. Penner showed that logarithms of least dilatations of pseudo-Anosov maps on a genus-g surface grow asymptotically with the genus like 1/g, and gave explicit examples of mapping classes with dilatations bounded above by log 11/g. Bauer later improved this bound to log 6/g. The braids in this paper give rise to mapping classes with dilatations bounded above by log(2+sqrt(3))/g. They show that least dilatations for hyperelliptic mapping classes have the same asymptotic behavior as for general mapping classes on genus-g surfaces.

math.GT

A family of pseudo-Anosov braids with small dilatation

This paper concerns a family of pseudo-Anosov braids with dilatations arbitrarily close to one. The associated graph maps and train tracks have stable "star-like" shapes, and the characteristic polynomials of their transition matrices form Salem-Boyd sequences. These examples show that the logarithms of least dilatations of pseudo-Anosov braids on $2g+1$ strands are bounded above by $\log(2 + \sqrt{3})/g$. It follows that the asymptotic behavior of least dilatations of pseudo-Anosov, hyperelliptic surface homeomorphisms is identical to that found by Penner for general surface homeomorphisms. The family includes pseudo-Anosov braids with minimum dilatation for 3,4, and 5 strands; the latter according to a recent anouncement of J.-Y. Ham and W.-T. Song [math.GT/0506295].

math.GT

Salem-Boyd sequences and Hopf plumbing

Given a fibered link, consider the characteristic polynomial of the monodromy restricted to first homology. This generalizes the notion of the Alexander polynomial of a knot. We define a construction, called iterated plumbing, to create a sequence of fibered links from a given one. The resulting sequence of characteristic polynomials has the same form as those arising in work of Salem and Boyd in their study of distributions of Salem and P-V numbers. From this we deduce information about the asymptotic behavior of the large roots of the generalized Alexander polynomials, and define a new poset structure for Salem fibered links.

math.GT

Chord Diagrams and Coxeter Links

This paper presents a construction of fibered links $(K,Σ)$ out of chord diagrams $\sL$. Let $Γ$ be the incidence graph of $\sL$. Under certain conditions on $\sL$ the symmetrized Seifert matrix of $(K,Σ)$ equals the bilinear form of the simply-laced Coxeter system $(W,S)$ associated to $Γ$; and the monodromy of $(K,Σ)$ equals minus the Coxeter element of $(W,S)$. Lehmer's problem is solved for the monodromy of these Coxeter links.

math.GT

Lehmer's Problem, McKay's Correspondence, and $2,3,7$

This paper addresses a long standing open problem due to Lehmer in which the triple 2,3,7 plays a notable role. Lehmer's problem asks whether there is a gap between 1 and the next smallest algebraic integer with respect to Mahler measure. The question has been studied in a wide range of contexts including number theory, ergodic theory, hyperbolic geometry, and knot theory; and relates to basic questions such as describing the distribution of heights of algebraic integers, and of lengths of geodesics on arithmetic surfaces. This paper focuses on the role of Coxeter systems in Lehmer's problem. The analysis also leads to a topological version of McKay's correspondence.

math.GT

Boundary Manifolds of Line Arrangements

In this paper we describe the complement of real line arrangements in the complex plane in terms of the boundary three-manifold of the line arrangement. We show that the boundary manifold of any line arrangement is a graph manifold with Seifert fibered vertex manifolds, and depends only on the incidence graph of the arrangement. When the line arrangement is defined over the real numbers, we show that the homotopy type of the complement is determined by the incidence graph together with orderings on the edges emanating from each vertex.

alg-geom