Closed curves and geodesics with two self-intersections on the Punctured torus

Abstract

We classify the free homotopy classes of closed curves with minimal self intersection number two on a once punctured toms, T, up to homeomorphism. Of these, there are six primitive classes and two imprimitive. The classification leads to the topological result that, up to homeomorphism, there is a unique curve in each class realizing the minimum self intersection number. The classification yields a complete classification of geodesics on hyperbolic T which have self intersection number two. We also derive new results on the Markoff spectrum of diophantine approximation; in particular, exactly three of the impfimitive classes correspond to families of Markoff values below Hall's ray.