Related papers: Realizations of self branched coverings of the 2-s…
Given two closed orientable surfaces, the Hurwitz existence problem asks whether there exists a branched cover between them having prescribed global degree and local degrees over the branching points. The Riemann-Hurwitz formula gives a…
For a branched cover between two closed orientable surfaces, the Riemann-Hurwitz formula relates the Euler characteristics of the surfaces, the total degree of the cover, and the total length of the partitions of the degree given by the…
Branched covers between Riemann surfaces are associated with certain combinatorial data, and Hurwitz existence problem asks whether given data satisfying those combinatorial constraints can be realized by some branched cover. We connect…
In this note we provide a new partial solution to the Hurwitz existence problem for surface branched covers. Namely, we consider candidate branch data with base surface the sphere and one partition of the degree having length two, and we…
William Thurston (1946-2012) gave a combinatorial characterization for generic branched self-coverings of the two-sphere by associating a planar graph to them 10.48550/arXiv.1502.04760. By generalizing the notion of local balancing, the…
To a branched cover between closed, connected and orientable surfaces one associates a "branch datum", which consists of the two surfaces, the total degree d, and the partitions of d given by the collections of local degrees over the…
To a branched cover f between orientable surfaces one can associate a certain branch datum D(f), that encodes the combinatorics of the cover. This D(f) satisfies a compatibility condition called the Riemann-Hurwitz relation. The old but…
We consider "Thurston maps": branched self-coverings of the sphere with ultimately periodic critical points, and prove that the Thurston equivalence problem between them (continuous deformation of maps along with their critical orbits) is…
We introduce invariants of Hurwitz equivalence classes with respect to arbitrary group $G$. The invariants are constructed from any right $G$-modules $M$ and any $G$-invariant bilinear function on $M$, and are of bilinear forms. For…
An orientation-preserving branched covering $f: S^2 \to S^2$ is a nearly Euclidean Thurston (NET) map if each critical point is simple and its postcritical set has exactly four points. Inspired by classical, non-dynamical notions such as…
This manuscript studies a special case of the Hurwitz enumeration problem: for branched covers from genus g compact Riemann surface to the Riemann sphere, with three branch points, and require the branching data at one of the branch points…
This manuscript recounts some of the author's contributions to algebraic and enumerative combinatorics. We have focused on two types of generalizations of bipartite maps, which are bipartite graphs embedded on surfaces. Maps are known to…
Thurston obtained a combinatorial characterization for generic branched self-coverings that preserve the orientation of the oriented 2-sphere by associating a planar graph to them [arXiv:1502.04760]. In this work, the Thurston result is…
We study the crossing matrix of a braid and introduce a polynomial invariant for braid systems that is invariant under Hurwitz equivalence. As an application to the study of surface braids and surface links, we also define an invariant that…
For the existence of a branched covering Sigma~ --> Sigma between closed surfaces there are easy necessary conditions in terms of chi(Sigma~), chi(Sigma), orientability, the total degree, and the local degrees at the branching points. A…
We consider surface branch data with base surface the sphere, odd degree d, three branching points, and two partitions of d of the form (2,...,2,1) and (2,...,2,2h+1). If the third partition has length L, this datum satisfies the…
Double Hurwitz numbers enumerate branched covers of $\mathbb{CP}^1$ with prescribed ramification over two points and simple ramification elsewhere. In contrast to the single case, their underlying geometry is not well understood. In…
Among Thurston maps (orientation-preserving, postcritically finite branched coverings of the 2-sphere to itself), those that arise as subdivision maps of a finite subdivision rule form a special family. For such maps, we investigate…
Thurston maps are branched self-coverings of the sphere whose critical points have finite forward orbits. We give combinatorial and algebraic characterizations of Thurston maps that are isotopic to expanding maps as "Levy-free" maps and as…
This is the announcement, and the long summary, of a series of articles on the algorithmic study of Thurston maps. We describe branched coverings of the sphere in terms of group-theoretical objects called bisets, and develop a theory of…