Past exam of the mathematics course of the University of Cambridge / 2008 / ib / Paper 3 / 12G (Geometry)

For $|\lambda |<1$, let $F_{\lambda }(\zeta )=(\zeta -\lambda )/(1-\overline{\lambda }\zeta )$. Direct calculation givesIts denominator does not vanish in the disc, and this identity shows that it maps the disc into itself. Its inverse $(w+\lambda )/(1+\overline{\lambda }w)$ has the same property, so $F_{\lambda }$ is a Poincare disc automorphism. Multiplication by a complex number of modulus one is another such automorphism.

Conversely let $T$ be a Möbius transformation mapping the disc onto itself, and let $\lambda =T^{-1}(0)$. Then $T\circ F_{\lambda }^{-1}$ is a disc automorphism fixing zero, say $S(\zeta )=a\zeta /(c\zeta +d)$ with $d\ne 0$. Since it maps the boundary circle to itself, $|a{|}^2=|c\zeta +d{|}^2=|c{|}^2+|d{|}^2+2\mathrm{Re}(c\overline{d}\zeta )$ for every $|\zeta |=1$. This forces $c\overline{d}=0$, hence $c=0$ and $|a/d|=1$. Thus $S$ is a rotation $\eta \zeta$, and $T=\eta F_{\lambda }$. Absorb the denominator's minus sign into $\omega =-\eta$ to obtain precisely the paper's convention:Here mapping the disc to itself means bijectively onto itself; there are nonautomorphic Möbius transformations whose image is a proper subdisc.

For the Poincare disc model, radial distance from zero to Euclidean radius $r$ isIt is minimal: any curve has length at least the integral of $2|dr|/(1-r^2)$, which in turn is at least the net radial integral. Consequently a hyperbolic circle of radius $a$ centred at zero is $|\zeta |=\tanh (a/2)$, a Euclidean circle.

Given a centre $p$, use a Poincare disc automorphism carrying $p$ to zero. Since it is an isometry, it takes the given hyperbolic circle to the preceding Euclidean circle. A Möbius transformation takes generalized circles to generalized circles. The preimage here is compact and contained in the disc, so it cannot be a straight line. ThusThis argument does not say that their Euclidean and hyperbolic centres coincide.

Rotate the disc so that $P=e^{i\alpha }$ and $Q=e^{-i\alpha }$, with $0<\alpha \le \pi /2$ representing half the smaller angle. For $\alpha <\pi /2$, the hyperbolic line joining them is the arc of a circle orthogonal to the unit circle. Its Euclidean centre is real, say $c$, and orthogonality gives squared radius $c^2-1$. Substituting $P$ into $|P-c{|}^2=c^2-1$ gives $c=\sec \alpha$, with radius $\tan \alpha$.

The arc's point nearest zero is on the positive real axis, atDistance from zero in the Poincare disc model increases with Euclidean modulus, by the radial-length calculation. ThereforeFor $\alpha =\pi /2$, the hyperbolic line is a diameter through zero and its distance is zero, agreeing with the continuous limit of the formula. Choosing the smaller endpoint angle avoids a spurious negative value caused by an inappropriate oriented-angle convention.

Suppose an open hyperbolic disc centred at $X$ is contained in a hyperbolic triangle. Move $X$ to zero by an isometry. Extend the radial geodesics from zero through the three vertices to ideal points $P_1,P_2,P_3$. Because zero lies inside the original triangle, the three vertex directions are not contained in a semicircle. The ideal hyperbolic triangle with those endpoints therefore contains zero: otherwise a separating geodesic through zero would put all three endpoints in one semicircle. It also contains each finite vertex, which lies on the segment from zero to the corresponding ideal endpoint. Geodesic convexity then makes it contain the original triangle.

The three angular gaps between successive ideal endpoints sum to $2\pi$, and each is at most $\pi$. One has size at least $2\pi /3$, so its half-angle $\alpha$ is at least $\pi /3$. The distance in part (iii) decreases as $\alpha$ increases. Thus the corresponding side of the ideal triangle is at distance at mostfrom zero. If the disc radius exceeds this distance, it contains a point on that side and points beyond it, and cannot be contained in the ideal triangle, hence cannot be contained in the original one. This proves the hyperbolic triangle inradius bound:The symmetric ideal triangle has equality, explaining the constant. Finite triangles have strictly smaller inradius.