The index growth and multiplicity of closed geodesics

In the recent paper [31] of Long and Duan (2009), we classified closed geodesics on Finsler manifolds into rational and irrational two families, and gave a complete understanding on the index growth properties of iterates of rational closed geodesics. This study yields that a rational closed geodesic cannot be the only closed geodesic on every irreversible or reversible (including Riemannian) Finsler sphere, and that there exist at least two distinct closed geodesics on every compact simply connected irreversible or reversible (including Riemannian) Finsler 3-dimensional manifold. In this paper, we study the index growth properties of irrational closed geodesics on Finsler manifolds. This study allows us to extend results in [31] of Long and Duan (2009) on rational, and in [12] of Duan and Long (2007), [39] of Rademacher (2010), and [40] of Rademacher (2008) on completely non-degenerate closed geodesics on spheres and CP² to every compact simply connected Finsler manifold. Then we prove the existence of at least two distinct closed geodesics on every compact simply connected irreversible or reversible (including Riemannian) Finsler 4-dimensional manifold.     

Multiple closed geodesics on bumpy Finsler n-spheres

In this paper we prove that for every bumpy Finsler metric F on every rationally homological n-dimensional sphere Sn with n?2, there exist always at least two distinct prime closed geodesics.     

Multiplicity and stability of closed geodesics on bumpy Finsler 3-spheres

We prove that for every Q-homological Finsler 3-sphere (M, F) with a bumpy and irreversible metric F, either there exist two non-hyperbolic prime closed geodesics, or there exist at least three prime closed geodesics. Huagui Duan: Partially supported by NNSF and RFDP of MOE of China. Yiming Long: Partially supported by the 973 Program of MOST, Yangzi River Professorship, NNSF, MCME, RFDP, LPMC of MOE of China, S. S. Chern Foundation, and Nankai University.     

Stability of closed geodesics on Finsler 2-spheres

In this paper, we prove that on every Finsler 2-dimensional sphere, either there exist infinitely many prime closed geodesics or there exist at least two irrationally elliptic prime closed geodesics.     

Multiplicity of closed geodesics on Finsler spheres with irrationally elliptic closed geodesics

If all prime closed geodesics on (Sⁿ, F) with an irreversible Finsler metric F are irrationally elliptic, there exist either exactly 2 \(\left[ {\frac{{n + 1}}{2}} \right]\) or infinitely many distinct closed geodesics. As an application, we show the existence of three distinct closed geodesics on bumpy Finsler (S³, F) if any prime closed geodesic has non-zero Morse index.     

Closed geodesics on positively curved Finsler spheres

In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler n-sphere (Sn,F) for n?3 with reversibility λ and flag curvature K satisfying , either there exist infinitely many prime closed geodesics or there exists one elliptic closed geodesic whose linearized Poincaré map has at least one eigenvalue which is of the form exp(πiμ) with an irrational μ. Furthermore, there always exist three prime closed geodesics on any (S³,F) satisfying the above pinching condition.     

The existence of two closed geodesics on every Finsler 2-sphere

In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler metric on S ² there exist at least two distinct prime closed geodesics.     

Short Geodesic Segments between Two Points on a Closed Riemannian Manifold

Let M ⁿ be a closed Riemannian manifold homotopy equivalent to the product of S ² and an arbitrary (n–2)-dimensional manifold. In this paper we prove that given an arbitrary pair of points on M ⁿ there exist at least k distinct geodesics of length at most 20k!d between these points for every positive integer k. Here d denotes the diameter of M ⁿ .     

Geodesic rays,Busemann functions and monotone twist maps

We study the action-minimizing half-orbits of an area-preserving monotone twist map of an annulus. We show that these so-called rays are always asymptotic to action-minimizing orbits. In the spirit of Aubry-Mather theory which analyses the set of action-minimizing orbits we investigate existence and properties of rays. By analogy with the geometry of the geodesics on a Riemannian 2-torus we define a Busemann function for every ray. We use this concept to prove that the minimal average action A() is differentiable at irrational rotation numbers while it is generically non-differentiable at rational rotation numbers (cf. also [18]). As an application of our results in the geometric framework we prove that a Riemannian 2-torus which has the same marked length spectrum as a flat 2-torus is actually isometric to this flat torus.     

Closed geodesics and volume growth of open manifolds with sectional curvature bounded from below

In this paper, the relationship between the existence of closed geodesics and the volume growth of complete noncompact Riemannian manifolds is studied. First the authors prove a diffeomorphic result of such an n-m2nifold with nonnegative sectional curvature, which improves Marenich-Toponogov＇s theorem. As an application, a rigidity theorem is obtained for nonnegatively curved open manifold which contains a clesed geodesic. Next the authors prove a theorem about the nonexistence of closed geodesics for Riemannian manifolds with sectional curvature bounded from below by a negative constant.     

Vector fields dynamics as geodesic motion on Lie groups

We study to what extent vector fields on Lie groups may be considered as geodesic fields. For a given left invariant vector field on a Lie group, we prove there exists a Riemannian metric whose geodesics are its trajectories. When we consider left invariant metrics, differences between the Riemannian and the Lorentzian cases appear, coded by properties of the Lie algebra. To cite this article: G.T. Pripoae, C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 342 (2006).     

Closed geodesics on Finsler spheres

In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler n-sphere (S ⁿ ,?F) all of whose prime closed geodesics are non-degenerate with reversibility λ and flag curvature K satisfying ${\left(\frac{\lambda}{\lambda+1}\right)^2 < K \le 1,}$ there exist ${2[\frac{n+1}{2}]-1}$ prime closed geodesics; moreover, there exist ${2[\frac{n}{2}]-1}$ non-hyperbolic prime closed geodesics provided the number of prime closed geodesics is finite.     

On doubly warped product Finsler manifolds

In this paper, we introduce horizontal and vertical warped product Finsler manifolds. We prove that every C-reducible or proper Berwaldian doubly warped product Finsler manifold is Riemannian. Then, we find the relation between Riemannian curvatures of doubly warped product Finsler manifold and its components, and consider the cases that this manifold is flat or has scalar flag curvature. We define the doubly warped Sasaki-Matsumoto metric for warped product manifolds and find a condition under which the horizontal and vertical tangent bundles are totally geodesic. We obtain some conditions under which a foliated manifold reduces to a Reinhart manifold. Finally, we study an almost complex structure on the tangent bundle of a doubly warped product Finsler manifold.     

On the non-Riemannian quantity H of a Finsler metric

One of fundamental problems in Finsler geometry is to establish some delicate equations between Riemannian invariants and non-Riemannian invariants. Inspired by results due to Akbar-Zadeh etc., this note establishes a new fundamental equation between non-Riemannian quantity H and Riemannian quantities on a Finsler manifold. As its application, we show that all R-quadratic Finsler metrics have vanishing non-Riemannian invariant H generalizing result previously only known in the case of Randers metric.     

On the average indices of closed geodesics on positively curved Finsler spheres

In this paper, we prove that on every Finsler n-sphere (S ⁿ , F) for n ≥  6 with reversibility λ and flag curvature K satisfying ${(\frac{\lambda}{\lambda+1})^2 \, < \, K \, \le \, 1}$ , either there exist infinitely many prime closed geodesics or there exist ${[\frac{n}{2}]-2}$ closed geodesics possessing irrational average indices. If in addition the metric is bumpy, then there exist n?3 closed geodesics possessing irrational average indices provided the number of prime closed geodesics is finite.     

Length spectra and<Emphasis Type="Italic">p</Emphasis>-spectra of compact flat manifolds

We compare and contrast various length vs Laplace spectra of compact flat Riemannian manifolds. As a major consequence we produce the first examples of pairs of closed manifolds that are isospectral on p-forms for some p ≠ 0, but have different weak length spectrum. For instance, we give a pair of 4-dimensional manifolds that are isospectral on p-forms for p = 1, 3and we exhibit a length of a closed geodesic that occurs in one manifold but cannot occur in the other. We also exhibit examples of this kind having different injectivity radius and different first eigenvalue of the Laplace spectrum on functions. These results follow from a method that uses integral roots of the Krawtchouk polynomials. We prove a Poisson summation formula relating the p-eigenvalue spectrum with the lengths of closed geodesics. As a consequence we show that the Laplace spectrum on functions determines the lengths of closed geodesics and, by an example, that it does not determine the complex lengths. Furthermore we show that orientability is an audible property for closed flat manifolds. We give a variety of examples, for instance, a pair of manifolds isospectral on functions (resp. Sunada isospectral) with different multiplicities of length of closed geodesies and a pair with the same multiplicities of complex lengths of closed geodesies and not isospectral on p-forms for any p, or else isospectral on p-forms for only one value of p ≠ 0.     

Pseudo-Riemannian geodesic foliations by circles

We investigate under which assumptions an orientable pseudo-Riemannian geodesic foliations by circles is generated by an S ¹-action. We construct examples showing that, contrary to the Riemannian case, it is not always true. However, we prove that such an action always exists when the foliation does not contain lightlike leaves, i.e. a pseudo-Riemannian Wadsley’s Theorem. As an application, we show that every Lorentzian surface all of whose spacelike/timelike geodesics are closed, is finitely covered by ${S^1 \times \mathbb{R}}$ . It follows that every Lorentzian surface contains a nonclosed geodesic.     

Conjugate points in length spaces

In this paper we extend the concept of a conjugate point in a Riemannian manifold to geodesic spaces. In particular, we introduce symmetric conjugate points and ultimate conjugate points and relate these notions to prior notions developed for more restricted classes of spaces. We generalize the long homotopy lemma of Klingenberg to this setting as well as the injectivity radius estimate also due to Klingenberg which was used to produce closed geodesics or conjugate points on Riemannian manifolds. We close with applications of these new kinds of conjugate points to CBA(κ) spaces: proving both known and new theorems. In particular we prove a Rauch comparison theorem, a Relative Rauch Comparison Theorem, the fact that there are no ultimate conjugate points less than π apart in a CBA(1) space and a few facts concerning closed geodesics. This paper is written to be accessible to students and includes open problems.     

The explicit construction of Finsler metrics with special curvature properties

The S-curvature is one of most important non-Riemannian quantities in Finsler geometry. It delicately related to Riemannian quantities. This note gives an explicit construction of 3-parameter family of non-locally projectively flat Finsler metrics of non-constant isotropic S-curvature. The necessary and sufficient condition that these Finsler metrics are of constant flag curvature is given.