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In this problem set, we will explore the geometry of the hyperbolic plane.
This homework set is out of 40 points.
Illustration credit: M.C. Escher, Regular Division of The Plane VI, 1957.
Let \(\mathbb{H}\) be the set \(\{ (x,y) \in \mathbb{R}^2 \mid y > 0\}\)
equipped with the Riemannian metric:
\[
\langle \mathbf{u} ,\mathbf{v} \rangle_{(x,y)}^{\mathbb{H}} := \frac{1}{y^2} \mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v}
\]
This can also be expressed as \(\frac{1}{y^2} dx^2 + \frac{1}{y^2} dy^2\).
This is Poincaré's half-plane model of the hyperbolic plane.
A curve in \(\mathbb{H}\) a hyperbolic geodesic
if it is either a vertical line segment or else an arc on a circle whose
center is on the \(x\)-axis.
-
(10 points)
Show that the following transformations are isometries of \(\mathbb{H}\) for any \(a,b \in \mathbb{R}\) with \(a > 0\):
\[
T(x,y) = (ax + b,ay) \qquad I(x,y) = \big(\frac{x}{x^2 + y^2},\frac{y}{x^2+y^2}\big)
\]
Remark:
The transformation \(I\) an example of an inversion:
it fixes lines through the origin but inverts the distance of a point to the origin.
Inversions transform hyperbolic geodesics to hyperbolic geodesics.
-
(10 points)
Show that any hyperbolic geodesic can be transformed into a subset of the \(y\)-axis
using a sequence of the isometries of \(\mathbb{H}\) from problem 1.
-
(5+5 points)
Derive the length of the hyperbolic geodesic which connects \((0,y_0)\) to \((0,y_1)\).
Derive the length of the hyperbolic geodesic which connects \((0,1)\) to \((1,1)\).
-
(10 points)
Show that hyperbolic geodesics are the shortest curves connecting their endpoints.
Hint: First prove this when both endpoints are on the \(y\)-axis
using a similar argument to the one for Euclidean space.
Then use problems 1 and 2 to reduce the general case to this one.