Edge-preserving maps of curve graphs

Abstract

Suppose $S_{1}$ and $S_{2}$ are orientable surfaces of finite topological type such that $S_{1}$ has genus at least $3$ and the complexity of $S_{1}$ is an upper bound of the complexity of $S_{2}$. Let $\varphi : \mathcal{C}(S_{1}) \rightarrow \mathcal{C}(S_{2})$ be an edge-preserving map; then $S_{1}$ is homeomorphic to $S_{2}$, and in fact $\varphi$ is induced by a homeomorphism. To prove this, we use several simplicial properties of rigid expansions, which we prove here.