We present a brief but nearly self-contained proof of a formula for the Weil-Petersson Hessian of the geodesic length of a closed curve (either simple or not simple) on a hyperbolic surface. The formula is the sum of the integrals of two naturally defined positive functions over the geodesic, proving convexity of this functional over Teichmuller space (due to Wolpert (1987)). We then estimate this Hessian from below in terms of local quantities and distance along the geodesic. The formula extends to proper arcs on punctured hyperbolic surfaces, and the estimate to laminations. Wolpert’s result that the Thurston metric is a multiple of the Weil-Petersson metric directly follows on taking a limit of the formula over an appropriate sequence of curves. We give further applications to upper bounds of the Hessian, especially near pinching loci, recover through a geometric argumentWolpert’s result on the convexity of length to the half-power, and give a lower bound for growth of length in terms of twist.

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In LM, we proved a family version of the famous Witten rigidity theorems and several family vanishing theorems for elliptic genera. In this paper, we gerenalize our theorems LM in two directions. First we establish a family rigidity theorem for the Dirac operator on loop space twisted by general positive energy loop group representations. Second we prove a family rigidity theorem for spin^ c-manifolds. Several vanishing theorems on both cases are also obtained.

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We define orbifold elliptic genus for general orbifolds which generalizes the definition of Borisov and Libgober, and prove their rigidity property.