Isometric submersions of Teichmüller spaces are forgetful

Abstract

We study the class of holomorphic and isometric submersions between finite-type Teichmüller spaces. We prove that, with potential exceptions coming from low-genus phenomena, any such map is a forgetful map $${{\cal T}_{g,n}} \to {{\cal T}_{g,m}}$$ obtained by filling in punctures. This generalizes a classical result of Royden and Earle—Kra asserting that biholomorphisms between finite-type Teichmüller spaces arise from mapping classes. As a key step in the argument, we prove that any ℂ-linear embedding Q(X) ↪ Q(Y) between spaces of integrable quadratic differentials is, up to scale, pull-back by a holomorphic map. We accomplish this step by adapting methods developed by Markovic to study isometries of infinite-type Teichmüller spaces.