We use the known convergence of loop-erased random walk to radial SLE(2) to give a new proof that the scaling limit of loop-erased random walk excursion in the upper half-plane is chordal SLE(2). Our proof relies on a version of Wilson’s algorithm for weighted graphs which is used together with a Beurling-type estimate for random walk excursion. We also establish and use the convergence of the radial SLE path to the chordal SLE path as the bulk point tends to a boundary point. In the final section we sketch how to extend our results to more general simply connected domains.

We construct Coleff–Herrera products and Bochner–Martinelli type residue currents associated with a tuple$f$of weakly holomorphic functions, and show that these currents satisfy basic properties from the (strongly) holomorphic case. This include the transformation law, the Poincaré–Lelong formula and the equivalence of the Coleff–Herrera product and the Bochner–Martinelli type residue current associated with$f$when$f$defines a complete intersection.

For each closed, positive (1,1)-current$ω$on a complex manifold$X$and each$ω$-upper semicontinuous function$φ$on$X$we associate a disc functional and prove that its envelope is equal to the supremum of all$ω$-plurisubharmonic functions dominated by$φ$. This is done by reducing to the case where$ω$has a global potential. Then the result follows from Poletsky’s theorem, which is the special case$ω$=0. Applications of this result include a formula for the relative extremal function of an open set in$X$and, in some cases, a description of the$ω$-polynomial hull of a set.

Let$M$be a compact complex manifold. The corresponding Teichmüller space Teich is the space of all complex structures on$M$up to the action of the group $${{\rm Diff}_0(M)}$$ of isotopies. The mapping class group $${\Gamma:={\rm Diff}(M)/{{\rm Diff}_0(M)}}$$ acts on Teich in a natural way. An$ergodic complex structure$is a complex structure with a $${\Gamma}$$ -orbit dense in Teich. Let$M$be a complex torus of complex dimension $${\ge 2}$$ or a hyperkähler manifold with $${b_2 > 3}$$ . We prove that$M$is ergodic, unless$M$has maximal Picard rank (there are countably many such$M$). This is used to show that all hyperkähler manifolds are Kobayashi non-hyperbolic.

We show that Thurston’s skinning maps of Teichmüller space have finite fibers. The proof centers around a study of two subvarieties of the $${{\rm SL}_2(\mathbb{C})}$$ character variety of a surface—one associated with complex projective structures, and the other associated with a 3-manifold. Using the Morgan–Shalen compactification of the character variety and author’s results on holonomy limits of complex projective structures, we show that these subvarieties have only a discrete set of intersections.

We describe a natural decomposition of a normal complex surface singularity ($X$, 0) into its “thick” and “thin” parts. The former is essentially metrically conical, while the latter shrinks rapidly in thickness as it approaches the origin. The thin part is empty if and only if the singularity is metrically conical; the link of the singularity is then Seifert fibered. In general the thin part will not be empty, in which case it always carries essential topology. Our decomposition has some analogy with the Margulis thick-thin decomposition for a negatively curved manifold. However, the geometric behavior is very different; for example, often most of the topology of a normal surface singularity is concentrated in the thin parts.

We consider$Thurston maps$, i.e., branched covering maps$f:S$^{2}→$S$^{2}that are$post-critically finite$. In addition, we assume that$f$is$expanding$in a suitable sense. It is shown that each sufficiently high iterate$F$=$f$^{$n$}of$f$is$semi-conjugate$to$z$^{$d$}:$S$^{1}→$S$^{1}, where$d$= deg F. More precisely, for such an$F$we construct a$Peano curve γ$:$S$^{1}→$S$^{2}(onto), such that$F$∘$γ$($z$) =$γ$($z$^{$d$}) (for all$z$∈$S$^{1}).

We give a complete proof of the Bers–Sullivan–Thurston density conjecture. In the light of the ending lamination theorem, it suffices to prove that any collection of possible ending invariants is realized by some algebraic limit of geometrically finite hyperbolic manifolds. The ending invariants are either Riemann surfaces or filling laminations supporting Masur domain measured laminations and satisfying some mild additional conditions. With any set of ending invariants we associate a sequence of geometrically finite hyperbolic manifolds and prove that this sequence has a convergent subsequence. We derive the necessary compactness theorem combining the Rips machine with non-existence results for certain small actions on real trees of free products of surface groups and free groups. We prove then that the obtained algebraic limit has the desired conformal boundaries and the property that none of the filling laminations is realized by a pleated surface. In order to be able to apply the ending lamination theorem, we have to prove that this algebraic limit has the desired topological type and that these non-realized laminations are ending laminations. That this is the case is the main novel technical result of this paper. Loosely speaking, we show that a filling Masur domain lamination which is not realized is an ending lamination.

In the moduli space $$ \mathcal{M} $$ _{$g$}of genus-$g$Riemann surfaces, consider the locus $$ \mathcal{R}{\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{O}}} $$ of Riemann surfaces whose Jacobians have real multiplication by the order $$ \mathcal{O} $$ in a totally real number field$F$of degree$g$. If$g$= 3, we compute the closure of $$ \mathcal{R}{\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{O}}} $$ in the Deligne–Mumford compactification of $$ \mathcal{M} $$ _{$g$}and the closure of the locus of eigenforms over $$ \mathcal{R}{\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{O}}} $$ in the Deligne–Mumford compactification of the moduli space of holomorphic 1-forms. For higher genera, we give strong necessary conditions for a stable curve to be in the boundary of $$ \mathcal{R}{\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{O}}} $$ . Boundary strata of $$ \mathcal{R}{\mathcal{M}_{\mathcal{O}}} $$ are parameterized by configurations of elements of the field$F$satisfying a strong geometry of numbers type restriction.

Building on [BB1] we prove a general criterion for convergence of (possibly singular) Bergman measures towards pluripotential-theoretic equilibrium measures on complex manifolds. The criterion may be formulated in terms of the growth properties of the unit-balls of certain norms on holomorphic sections, or equivalently as an asymptotic minimization property for generalized Donaldson$L$-functionals. Our result settles in particular a well-known conjecture in pluripotential theory concerning the equidistribution of Fekete points and it gives the convergence of Bergman measures towards the equilibrium measure for Bernstein-Markov measures. Applications to interpolation of holomorphic sections are also discussed.