Pressure path metrics on parabolic families of polynomials

Abstract

Let $\Lambda$ be a subfamily of the moduli space of degree $D\ge 2$ polynomials defined by a finite number of parabolic relations. Let $\Omega$ be a bounded stable component of $\Lambda$ with the property that all critical points are attracted by either the persistent parabolic cycles or by attracting cycles in $\mathbb{C}$. We construct a positive semi-definite pressure form on $\Omega$ and show that it defines a path metric on $\Omega$. This provides a counterpart in complex dynamics of the pressure metric on cusped Hitchin components recently studied by Kao and Bray-Canary-Kao-Martone.