Faces of the scl norm ball
arXiv:0807.0395 · doi:10.2140/gt.2009.13.1313
Abstract
Let F be the fundamental group of S, where S is a compact, connected, oriented surface with negative Euler characteristic and nonempty boundary. (1) The projective class of the chain \partial S in B_1(F) intersects the interior of a codimension one face of the unit ball in the stable commutator length pseudo-norm. (2) The unique homogeneous quasimorphism on F dual to this face (up to scale and elements of H^1) is the rotation quasimorphism associated to the action of F on the ideal boundary of the hyperbolic plane, coming from a hyperbolic structure on S. These facts follow from the fact that every homologically trivial 1-chain in S rationally cobounds an immersed surface with a sufficiently large multiple of the boundary. This is true even if S has no boundary.
19 pages, 5 figures; v.3 incorporates referees suggestions