2001/11/30 by Sadayoshi Kojima, Shigeru Mizushima, Ser Peow Tan · 1 citation
Mathematics · #math.GT #msc:52C15 #msc:30F99
published as J. Differential Geom., 63 (2003), 349-397 · 44 pages, 12 embedded figures; v2:very minor modification
arxiv created 2001/12/19 · arxiv updated 2009/11/30
The Andreev-Thurston theorem states that for any triangulation of a closed orientable surface Σg of genus g which is covered by a simple graph in the universal cover, there exists a unique metric of curvature 1, 0 or -1 on the surface depending on whether g=0, 1 or ≥ 2 such that the surface with this metric admits a circle packing with combinatorics given by the triangulation. Furthermore, the circle packing is essentially rigid, that is, unique up to conformal automorphisms of the surface isotopic to the identity. In this paper, we consider projective structures on the surface Σg where circle packings are also defined. We show that the space of projective structures on a surface of genus g ≥ 2 which admits a circle packing by one circle is homeomorphic to R6g-6 and furthermore that the circle packing is rigid on such surfaces.