Kleinian Group

In mathematics, a Kleinian group is a finitely generated discrete group Γ of conformal (i.e. angle-preserving) self-maps of the open unit ball B^3 in R^3. By considering the ball's boundary, a Kleinian group can also be defined as a subgroup Γ of PGL2(C), the complex projective linear group, whose action by Mbius transformations at some point of the Riemann sphere is freely discontinuous. When Γ is isomorphic to the fundamental group \pi_1 of a three-dimensional hyperbolic manifold, then the quotient space H^3/\Gamma becomes a Kleinian model of the manifold. Many authors use the terms Kleinian model and Kleinian group interchangeably, letting the one stand for the other. Discreteness implies points in B^3 have finite stabilizers, and discrete orbits under the group G. But the orbit Gp of a point p will typically accumulate on the boundary of the closed ball \bar{B}^3. The boundary of the closed ball is called the sphere at infinity, and is denoted S^2_\infty. The set of accumulation points of Gp in S^2_\infty is called the limit set of G, and usually denoted \Lambda(G). The unit ball B^3 with its conformal structure is the Poincare model of hyperbolic 3-space. When we think of it metrically, it is denoted H^3. The set of conformal self-maps of B^3 becomes the set of isometries (i.e. distance-preserving maps) of H^3 under this identification. Such maps restrict to conformal self-maps of S^2_\infty, which are Mobius transformations. There are isomorphisms
Mob(S^2_\infty) \cong Conf(B^3) \cong Isom(H^3) The subgroups of these groups consisting of orientation-preserving transformations are all isomorphic to the matrix group
PSL(2,C)
via the usual identification of the unit sphere with the complex projective line CP^1.

Example

Reflection groups. Let C_i be the boundary circles of a finite collection of disjoint closed disks. The group generated by inversion in each circle is a Kleinian group. The limit set is a Cantor set, and the quotient H^3/G is a mirror orbifold with underlying space a ball. It is double covered by a handlebody; the corresponding index 2 subgroup is a Schottky group.

Example

Crystallographic groups. Let T be a periodic tessellation of hyperbolic 3-space. The group of symmetries of the tessellation is a Kleinian group.

Metric

The canonical hyperbolic metric on the unit ball B^3 is given by
ds^2= \frac{4 \left| dx \right|^2 }{\left( 1-|x|^2 \right)^2}
for x\in B^3.

References

  • Bernard Maskit, Kleinian Groups, (1988) Springer-Verlag New York ISBN 0-387-17746-9
  • Katsuhiko Matsuzaki and Masahiko Taniguchi, Hyberbolic Manifolds and Kleinian Groups, (1998) Clarendon Press, Oxford ISBN 0-19-850062-9

 

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