Connectivity in the space of framed hyperbolic 3-manifolds

Abstract: We prove that the space $\mathcal{H}\infty$ of framed infinite volume hyperbolic $3$-manifolds is connected but not path connected. Two proofs of connectivity of this space, which is equipped with the geometric topology, are given, each utilizing the density theorem for Kleinian groups. In particular, we decompose $\mathcal{H}\infty$ into a union of leaves, each leaf corresponding to the set of framings on a fixed manifold, and construct a leaf which is dense in $\mathcal{H}\infty$. Examples of paths in $\mathcal{H}\infty$ are discussed, and machinery for analyzing general paths is developed, allowing for a description of paths of convex cocompact framed manifolds. The discussion of paths culminates in describing an infinite family of non-tame hyperbolic $3$-manifolds whose corresponding leaves are path components of $\mathcal{H}\infty$, which establishes that $\mathcal{H}\infty$ is not path connected.