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Take $T$ to be a finite group acting by orientation-preserving isometries. We give both an unbranched construction for every such abstract group and the orbifold construction needed for low-genus examples. The inherited quotient metric and the existence of some unrelated smooth hyperbolic metric on the underlying topological surface are different questions.

For a free action, choose generators $t_1,\dots ,t_s$ of $T$ and a closed orientable surface of genus $g_0\ge \max (2,s)$. Its surface group has generators $a_j,b_j$ and relation ${\prod }_j[a_j,b_j]=1$. Sending $a_j$ to the chosen generators, the remaining $a_j$ to one, and all $b_j$ to one defines a surjective homomorphism to $T$. Its kernel determines a connected regular finite cover $M$. Give the base a Riemannian metric of constant curvature $-1$ by the uniformization theorem, and pull it back to $M$. Its deck group is $T$, acting freely and isometrically. All subgroup quotients are then smooth covers as well.

For the more general construction, prescribe an oriented compact hyperbolic orbifold of signature $(g_0;m_1,\dots ,m_r)$, withIts orbifold fundamental group has presentationChoose an epimorphism $\theta :\Gamma \to T$ for which every $\theta (c_i)$ has exact order $m_i$. All finite-order elements of the uniformizing group are conjugate to powers of cone generators, so exact orders make $K=\ker \theta$ torsion-free. Realize $\Gamma$ as a cocompact Fuchsian group on the hyperbolic plane. ThenThe source notation $T/M$ is interpreted as the quotient of $M$ by $T$, as in the consistent subgroup notation $U\backslash M$. The manifold $M$ is smooth; $M_0$ has cone angles $2\pi /m_i$ and may have singularities.

The smoothness criterion from cone-monodromy cycles is explicit. On the $n=[T:U]$ cosets, let ${\sigma }_i$ be the permutation induced by $\theta (c_i)$. A cycle of length $\ell$ has local degree $\ell$ over the cone point. The resulting total angle is $2\pi \ell /m_i$, so its residual cone order is $m_i/\ell$. Therefore the inherited metric on $M_1$ is smooth precisely when every cycle of every ${\sigma }_i$ has length $m_i$. Equivalently,Indeed a nonidentity cone-generator power fixes a coset exactly when its conjugate lies in $U$. The inherited metric on $M_0$ itself is smooth precisely when there are no nontrivial cone stabilizers, equivalently when the $T$ action on $M$ is free.

For the Euler characteristics, first distinguish the ordinary characteristic of the underlying base from its orbifold Euler characteristic:To derive the covering formulas, triangulate the underlying base with all cone points as vertices. Ordinary vertices, open edges and faces lift with their full degree. A cone point whose monodromy has $c_i$ cycles has $c_i$ preimage vertices rather than $n$; thus the lifted Euler characteristic loses $n-c_i$ there. This is the Euler characteristic from coset cycle counts:For the full regular cover $M$, each cone generator acts on $T$ in cycles of length $m_i$, so it has $|T|/m_i$ cycles. ConsequentlyWhen $M_1$ is smooth, all its cone cycles likewise have full length and $c_i=n/m_i$. HenceThese are also the Riemann-Hurwitz formula with the ramification deficits made explicit. The Gauss-Bonnet theorem gives area $-2\pi \chi$ for each smooth closed hyperbolic surface, consistently multiplying with covering degree.

Finally, if one asks whether the underlying surface admits any smooth metric of constant curvature $-1$, rather than whether this quotient metric is smooth, the criterion is ordinary Euler characteristic less than zero. Necessity follows from the Gauss-Bonnet theorem; sufficiency is the uniformization theorem for genus at least two. Thus an orbifold quotient with cone singularities can sometimes be given a different smooth hyperbolic metric, but this change does not preserve its role as the locally isometric quotient in the spectral construction. A sphere or torus underlying $M_0$ cannot be made a closed smooth curvature-$-1$ surface at all.