A surface can be decomposed into a union of pairs of pants, a construction known as a pants decomposition. This fundamental observation reveals many important properties of surfaces. By forming a simplicial graph whose vertices represent pants decompositions, connecting two vertices with an edge whenever the corresponding decompositions differ by a simple move, we obtain a graph that is quasi-isometric to the Weil–Petersson metric on Teichmüller space. Meanwhile, topologists often study a structure called a rose, formed by attaching multiple circles at a single point. A rose is homotopy equivalent to a compact surface with boundary. Consequently, we can define a pants decomposition of a rose as the pants decomposition of a surface homotopy equivalent to it. In this talk, we will explore the concept of pants decompositions specifically in the context of roses.
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