Caratheodory metrics on Teichmuller spaces

Abstract

Let $S$ be an arbitrary Riemann surface whose Teichm\"uller space $T(S)$ has dimension at least two. A long standing problem is to determine whether the Carath\'eodory metric $d_C$ agrees with the Teichm\"uller metric $d_T$ on $T(S)$. It was shown that $d_C\ne d_T$ when $S$ is a closed surface of genus at least two. In this paper we study the general case, and prove that $d_C\ne d_T$ on $T(S)$ except possibly on the following seven Teichm\"uller spaces: $T^1_{0,0}$, $T^1_{0,1}$, $T^2_{0,0}$, $T^1_{0,2}$, $T^2_{0,1}$, $T^3_{0,0}$, and $T^3_{0,1}$.