Arc and curve graphs for infinite-type surfaces

Abstract

We study arc graphs and curve graphs for surfaces of infinite topological type. First, we define an arc graph relative to a finite number of (isolated) punctures and prove that it is a connected, uniformly hyperbolic graph of infinite diameter; this extends a recent result of J. Bavard to a large class of punctured surfaces. Second, we study the subgraph of the curve graph spanned by those elements which intersect a fixed separating curve on the surface. We show that this graph has infinite diameter and geometric rank 3, and thus is not hyperbolic.