The Maslov index revisited

LetD be a Hermitian symmetric space of tube type,S its Shilov boundary andG the neutral component of the group of bi-holomorphic diffeomorphisms ofD. In the model situationD is the Siegel disc,S is the manifold of Lagrangian subspaces andG is the symplectic group. We introduce a notion of transversality for pairs of elements inS, and then study the action ofG on the set of triples of mutually transversal points inS. We show that there is a finite number ofG-orbits, and to each orbit we associate an integer, thus generalizing theMaslov index. Using the scalar automorphy kernel ofD, we construct a ^*,G-invariant kernel onD×D×D. Taking a specific determination of its argument and studying its limit when approaching the Shilov boundary, we are able to define a -valued,G-invariant kernel for triples of mutually transversal points inS. It is shown to coincide with the Maslov index. Symmetry properties and cocycle properties of the Maslov index are then easily obtained.Both authors acknowledge partial support from the European Commission (European TMR Network Harmonic Analysis 1998–2001, Contract ERBFMRX-CT97-0159).     

On the rigidity of the coisotropic Maslov index on certain rational symplectic manifolds

We revisit the definition of the Maslov index of loops in coisotropic submanifolds tangent to the characteristic foliation of this submanifold. This Maslov index is given by the mean index of a certain symplectic path which is a lift of the holonomy along the loop. We prove a Maslov index rigidity result for stable coisotropic submanifolds in a broad class of ambient symplectic manifolds. Furthermore, we establish a nearby existence theorem for the same class of ambient manifolds.     

First symplectic Chern class and Maslov indices

An explicit formula is given in this paper for a two-dimensional cocycle in the bar resolution of the group G=Sp(n,), which represents the first Chern class of the natural n-dimensional complex vector bundle over BG. It is shown that this cocycle is closely connected with the Maslov indices of Lagrangian subspaces of ² Translated from Zapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov Leningradskogo Otdeleniya Matematicheskogo Instituta im. V. A. Steklova AN SSSR, Vol. 143, pp. 110–129, 1985.     

Orthogonal Maslov index

Independent Moscow University. Translated from Funktsional'nyi Analiz i Ego Prilozheniya, Vol. 29, No. 1, pp. 92–95, January–March, 1995.     

Maslov index in semi-Riemannian submersions

We study focal points and Maslov index of a horizontal geodesic γ : I → M in the total space of a semi-Riemannian submersion π : M → B by determining an explicit relation with the corresponding objects along the projected geodesic \({\pi\circ\gamma:I\to B}\) in the base space. We use this result to calculate the focal Maslov index of a (spacelike) geodesic in a stationary spacetime which is orthogonal to a timelike Killing vector field.     

The η-form and a generalized Maslov index

Given a family of pairs of transverse Lagrangian subspaces of a hermitean symplectic vector space we define a family of Dirac operators on the unit interval and consider its η-form . To a family of pairwise transverse Lagrangian subspaces we associate the cocycle which is a closed form. We identify its cohomology class with a generalization to families of the triple Maslov index. Received: 6 March 1997     

An analogue of the Maslov index

An analogue of the Maslov index is constructed for an n-dimensional oriented totally real submanifold of a quasicomplex 2n-manifold with the first Chern class vanishing modulo k. Relationships with the familiar invariants are considered in special cases. Bibliography: 10 titles. Translated fromZapiski Nauchnykh Seminarov POMI, Vol. 208, 1993, pp. 133–135. Translated by N. Yu. Netsvetaev.     

Symplectic spinors,holonomy and Maslov index

In this note it is shown that the Maslov index for pairs of Lagrangian paths as introduced by Leray and later canonized by Cappell, Lee and Miller appears by parallel transporting elements of (a certain complex line-subbundle of) the symplectic spinor bundle over Euclidean space, when pulled back to an (embedded) Lagrangian submanifold \(L\), along closed or non-closed paths therein. In especially, the CLM-Index mod \(4\) determines the holonomy group of this line bundle w.r.t. the Levi-Civita-connection on \(L\), hence its vanishing mod 4 is equivalent to the existence of a trivializing parallel section. Moreover, it is shown that the CLM-Index determines parallel transport in that line-bundle along arbitrary paths when compared to the parallel transport w.r.t. to the canonical flat connection of Euclidean space, if the Lagrangian tangent planes at the endpoints either coincide or are orthogonal. This is derived from a result on parallel transport of certain elements of the dual spinor bundle along closed or endpoint-transversal paths.     

Maslov index for homoclinic orbits of Hamiltonian systems

A useful tool for studying nonlinear differential equations is index theory. For symplectic paths on bounded intervals, the index theory has been completely established, which revealed tremendous applications in the study of periodic orbits of Hamiltonian systems. Nevertheless, analogous questions concerning homoclinic orbits are still left open. In this paper we use a geometric approach to set up Maslov index for homoclinic orbits of Hamiltonian systems. On the other hand, a relative Morse index for homoclinic orbits will be derived through Fredholm index theory. It will be shown that these two indices coincide.     

Conjugate points and Maslov index in locally symmetric semi-Riemannian manifolds

We study the singularities of the exponential map in semi Riemannian locally symmetric manifolds. Conjugate points along geodesics depend only on real negative eigenvalues of the curvature tensor, and their contribution to the Maslov index of the geodesic is computed explicitly. We prove that degeneracy of conjugate points, which is a phenomenon that can only occur in semi-Riemannian geometry, is caused in the locally symmetric case by the lack of diagonalizability of the curvature tensor. The case of Lie groups endowed with a bi-invariant metric is studied in some detail, and conditions are given for the lack of local injectivity of the exponential map around its singularities.     

A topological Maslov index for 3-graded lie groups

Motivated by the generalization of the Maslov index to tube domains and by numerous applications of related index function in infinite-dimensional situations, we describe in this paper a topologically oriented approach to an index function generalizing the Maslov index for bounded symmetric domains of tube type to a variety of infinite-dimensional situations containing in particular the class of all bounded symmetric domains of tube type in Banach spaces. The framework is that of 3-graded Banach-Lie groups and corresponding Jordan triple systems.     

Invariant measures of Hamiltonian systems with prescribed asymptotic Maslov index

We study the properties of the asymptotic Maslov index of invariant measures for time-periodic Hamiltonian systems on the cotangent bundle of a compact manifold M. We show that if M has finite fundamental group and the Hamiltonian satisfies some general growth assumptions on the momenta, then the asymptotic Maslov indices of periodic orbits are dense in the half line [0,+∞). Furthermore, if the Hamiltonian is the Fenchel dual of an electromagnetic Lagrangian, then every non-negative number r is the limit of the asymptotic Maslov indices of a sequence of periodic orbits which converges narrowly to an invariant measure with asymptotic Maslov index r. We discuss the existence of minimal ergodic invariant measures with prescribed asymptotic Maslov index by the analogue of Mather’s theory of the beta function, the asymptotic Maslov index playing the role of the rotation vector. Dedicated to Vladimir Igorevich Arnold     

Fischer decomposition in symplectic harmonic analysis

In the framework of quaternionic Clifford analysis in Euclidean space \(\mathbb {R}^{4p}\) , which constitutes a refinement of Euclidean and Hermitian Clifford analysis, the Fischer decomposition of the space of complex valued polynomials is obtained in terms of spaces of so-called (adjoint) symplectic spherical harmonics, which are irreducible modules for the symplectic group Sp \((p)\) . Its Howe dual partner is determined to be \(\mathfrak {sl}(2,\mathbb {C}) \oplus \mathfrak {sl}(2,\mathbb {C}) = \mathfrak {so}(4,\mathbb {C})\) .     

Comparative index for solutions of symplectic difference systems

We introduce the comparative index of two conjoined bases of a symplectic difference system, which generalizes difference analogs of canonical systems of differential equations. We consider the main properties of the comparative index and its relation to the number of focal points of a conjoined basis of the symplectic system. We prove a formula relating the number of focal points (including multiplicities) of two bases in the interval (i, i + 1] and corollaries of this formula such as an estimate for the difference of the numbers of focal points of two conjoined bases in the interval (0, N + 1], the equality of the numbers of focal points of principal solutions for the primal and reciprocal systems, sufficient conditions for the solvability of the Riccati equation for a disconjugate symplectic system, etc.     

Maslov index and Morse theory for the relativistic Lorentz force equation

We study the Jacobi equation for fixed endpoints solutions of the Lorentz force equation on a Lorentzian manifold. The flow of the Jacobi equation along each solution preserves the so-called twisted symplectic form, and the corresponding curve in the symplectic group determines an integer valued homology class called the Maslov index of the solution. We introduce the notion of F-conjugate plane for each conjugate instant; the restriction of the spacetime metric to the F-conjugate plane is used to compute the Maslov index, which is given by a sort of algebraic count of the conjugate instants. For a stationary Lorentzian manifold and an exact electromagnetic field admitting a potential vector field preserving the flow of the Killing vector field, we introduce a constrained action functional having finite Morse index and whose critical points are fixed endpoints solution of the Lorentz force equation. We prove that the value of this Morse index equals the Maslov index and we prove the Morse relations for the solutions of the Lorentz force equation in a static spacetime.Mathematics Subject Classification (2002): Primary: 58E10, 83C10; Secondary: 53D12     

A relative morse index for the symplectic action

The notion of a Morse index of a function on a finite-dimensional manifold cannot be generalized directly to the symplectic action function a on the loop space of a manifold. In this paper, we define for any pair of critical points of a a relative Morse index, which corresponds to the difference of the two Morse indices in finite dimensions. It is based on the spectral flow of the Hessian of a and can be identified with a topological invariant recently defined by Viterbo, and with the dimension of the space of trajectories between the two critical points.     

Computation of the Maslov index and the spectral flow via partial signatures

Given a smooth Lagrangian path, both in the finite and in the infinite dimensional (Fredholm) case, we introduce the notion of partial signatures at each isolated intersection of the path with the Maslov cycle. For real-analytic paths, we give a formula for the computation of the Maslov index using the partial signatures; a similar formula holds for the spectral flow of real-analytic paths of Fredholm self-adjoint operators on real separable Hilbert spaces. As applications of the theory, we obtain a semi-Riemannian version of the Morse index theorem for geodesics with possibly conjugate endpoints, and we prove a bifurcation result at conjugate points along semi-Riemannian geodesics. To cite this article: R. Giambò et al., C. R. Acad. Sci. Paris, Ser. I 338 (2004).