One of the basic geometric objects in conformal field theory (CFT) is the moduli space of Riemann surfaces whose n boundaries are "rigged" with analytic parametrizations. The fundamental operation is the sewing of such surfaces using the parametrizations to identify points. An alternative model is the moduli space of n-punctured Riemann surfaces together with local biholomorphic coordinates at the punctures. We refer to both of these moduli spaces as the "rigged Riemann moduli space".By generalizing to quasisymmetric boundary parametrizations, and defining rigged Teichmüller spaces in both the border and puncture pictures, we prove the following results: (1) The Teichmüller space of a genus-g surface bordered by n closed curves covers the rigged Riemann and rigged Teichmüller moduli spaces of surfaces of the same type, and induces complex manifold structures on them; (2) With this complex structure, the sewing operation is holomorphic; (3) The border and puncture pictures of the rigged moduli and rigged Teichmüller spaces are biholomorphically equivalent.These results are necessary in rigorously defining CFT (in the sense of G. Segal), as well as for the construction of CFT from vertex operator algebras.
Higher Complex Structures