Maximal surfaces in anti-de Sitter 3-manifolds with particles

Abstract

We prove the existence of a unique maximal surface in each anti-de Sitter (AdS) convex Globally Hyperbolic Maximal (GHM) manifold with particles (that is, with conical singularities along time-like lines) for cone angles less than $\pi$. We interpret this result in terms of Teichm\"uller theory, and prove the existence of a unique minimal Lagrangian diffeomorphism isotopic to the identity between two hyperbolic surfaces with cone singularities when the cone angles are the same for both surfaces and are less than $\pi$.