Multiplicity of homoclinics for a class of time recurrent second order Hamiltonian systems

We prove the existence of infinitely many homoclinic solutions for a class of second order Hamiltonian systems in of the form , where we assume the existence of a sequence such that and as for any . Moreover, under a suitable non degeneracy condition, we prove that this class of systems admits multibump solutions. Received February 2, 1996 / In revised form July 5, 1996 / Accepted October 10, 1996     

On the existence of closed timelike geodesics in compact spacetimes

In [19], Tipler has shown that a compact spacetime having a regular globally hyperbolic covering space with compact Cauchy surfaces necessarily contains a closed timelike geodesic. The restriction to compact spacetimes with just regular globally hyperbolic coverings (i.e., the Cauchy surfaces are not required to be compact) is still an open question. Here, we shall answer this question negatively by providing examples of compact flat Lorentz space forms without closed timelike geodesics, and shall give some criterion for the existence of such geodesics. More generally, we will show that in a compact spacetime having a regular globally hyperbolic covering, each free timelike homotopy class determined by a central deck transformation must contain a closed timelike geodesic. Whether or not a compact flat spacetime contains closed nonspacelike geodesics is, as far as we know, an open question. We shall answer this question affirmatively. We shall also introduce the notion of timelike injectivity radius for a spacetime relative to a free timelike homotopy class and shall show that it is finite whenever the corresponding deck transformation is central. Received: 9 November 1999; in final form: 19 September 2000 / Published online: 25 June 2001     

Numerical approximation of connecting orbits with asymptotic rate

Summary. In this paper we set up and analyze a numerical method for so called {\bf connecting orbits with asymptotic rate } in parameterized dynamical systems. A connecting orbit with asymptotic rate has its initial value in a given submanifold of the phase space (or its cross product with parameter space) and it converges with an exponential rate to a given orbit, e. g. a steady state or a periodic orbit. It is well known that orbits with asymptotic rate can be used to foliate stable or strong stable manifolds of invariant sets. We show that the problem of determining a connecting orbit with asymptotic rate is well-posed if a certain transversality condition is made and a specific relation between the number of stable dimensions and the number of parameters holds. For the proof we employ the implicit function theorem in spaces of exponentially decaying functions. Using asymptotic boundary conditions we truncate the original problem to a finite interval and show that the error decays exponentially. Typically the asymptotic boundary conditions by themselves are the result of a boundary value problem, e. g. if the limiting orbit is periodic. Thus it is expensive to calculate them in a parameter dependent way during the approximation procedure. To avoid this we develop a boundary corrector method which turns out to be nearly optimal after very few steps. Received April 28, 2000 / Revised version received December 18, 2000 / Published online May 30, 2001     

Index estimates for strongly indefinite functionals, periodic orbits and homoclinic solutions of first order Hamiltonian systems

We improve Benci and Rabinowitz's Linking theorem for strongly indefinite functionals, giving estimates for a suitably defined relative Morse index of critical points. Such abstract result is applied to the existence problem of periodic orbits and homoclinic solutions of first order Hamiltonian systems in cases where the Palais-Smale condition does not hold. Received January 27, 1999 / Accepted January 14, 2000 / Published online July 20, 2000     

An index theory for paths that are solutions of a class of strongly indefinite variational problems

We generalize the Morse index theorem of [12,15] and we apply the new result to obtain lower estimates on the number of geodesics joining two fixed non conjugate points in certain classes of semi-Riemannian manifolds. More specifically, we consider semi-Riemannian manifolds admitting a smooth distribution spanned by commuting Killing vector fields and containing a maximal negative distribution for . In particular we obtain Morse relations for stationary semi-Riemannian manifolds (see [7]) and for the G?del-type manifolds (see [3]). Received: 4 April 2001 / Accepted: 27 September 2001 / Published online: 23 May 2002 The authors are partially sponsored by CNPq (Brazil) Proc. N. 301410/95 and N. 300254/01-6. Parts of this work were done during the visit of the two authors to the IMPA, Instituto de Matemática Pura e Aplicada, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in January and February 2001. The authors wish to express their gratitude to all Faculty and Staff of the IMPA for their kind hospitality.     

Closed geodesics in compact nilmanifolds

We study the density of closed geodesics property on 2-step nilmanifolds Γ\N, where N is a simply connected 2-step nilpotent Lie group with a left invariant Riemannian metric and Lie algebra ?, and Γ is a lattice in N. We show the density of closedgeodesics property holds for quotients of singular, simply connected, 2-step nilpotent Lie groups N which are constructed using irreducible representations of the compact Lie group SU(2). Received: 8 November 2000 / Revised version: 9 April 2001     

Topological structure of non-contractible loop space and closed geodesics on real projective spaces with odd dimensions

In this paper, we use Chas–Sullivan theory on loop homology and Leray–Serre spectral sequence to investigate the topological structure of the non-contractible component of the free loop space on the real projective spaces with odd dimensions. Then we apply the result to get the resonance identity of non-contractible homologically visible prime closed geodesics on such spaces provided the total number of distinct prime closed geodesics is finite.     

Two-dimensional geodesic flows having first integrals of higher degree

We present a family of riemannian metrics on two-sphere having the property that the geodesic flows admit first integrals which are fiberwise homogeneous polynomials of degree greater than 2. They also have the property that all geodesics are closed. Received January 18, 1998 / Published online March 12, 2001     

Minimal surfaces: a geometric three dimensional segmentation approach

Summary. A novel geometric approach for three dimensional object segmentation is presented. The scheme is based on geometric deformable surfaces moving towards the objects to be detected. We show that this model is related to the computation of surfaces of minimal area (local minimal surfaces). The space where these surfaces are computed is induced from the three dimensional image in which the objects are to be detected. The general approach also shows the relation between classical deformable surfaces obtained via energy minimization and geometric ones derived from curvature flows in the surface evolution framework. The scheme is stable, robust, and automatically handles changes in the surface topology during the deformation. Results related to existence, uniqueness, stability, and correctness of the solution to this geometric deformable model are presented as well. Based on an efficient numerical algorithm for surface evolution, we present a number of examples of object detection in real and synthetic images. Received January 4, 1996 / Revised version received August 2, 1996     

Rigidity of the scattering length spectrum

In this paper we consider properties of obstacles satisfying some non-degeneracy conditions that can be recovered from the scattering length spectrum (SLS). Clearly the latter tells us whether the obstacle K is trapping or non-trapping. If the set of trapped points is relatively small, then the SLS also determines the volume of the obstacle, the number of its connected components, and whether its boundary is convex everywhere or it has non-trivial concavities. Under the additional assumption that the curvature of the obstacle does not vanish of infinite order, it is proved that from the SLS one can recover certain information about the number of reflection points of any simply reflecting ray in the exterior of the obstacle. Finally, for some special classes of obstacles (e.g. star-shaped ones), it is shown that the SLS completely determines the obstacle. Received: 2 March 1999 / Revised version: 16 January 2001 / Published online: 5 September 2002     

Minimal surfaces in R3 with one end¶and bounded curvature

We study complete minimal surfaces M immersed in R ³, with finite topology and one end. We give conditions which oblige M to be conformally a compact Riemann surface punctured in one point, and we show that M can be parametrized by meromorphic data on this compact Riemann surface. The goal is to prove that when M is also embedded, then the end of M is asymptotic to an end of a helicoid (or M is a plane). Received: 13 January 1997 / Revised version: 15 September 1997     

The geometry of the bundle of connections

A generalized symplectic structure on the bundle of connections of an arbitrary principal G-bundle is defined by means of a -valued differential 2-form on C(P), which is related to the generalized contact structure on . The Hamiltonian properties of are also analyzed. Received August 31, 1999; in final form January 4, 2000 / Published online February 5, 2001     

Multiple closed geodesics on 3-spheres

This paper is devoted to a study on closed geodesics on Finsler and Riemannian spheres. We call a prime closed geodesic on a Finsler manifold rational, if the basic normal form decomposition (cf. [Y. Long, Bott formula of the Maslov-type index theory, Pacific J. Math. 187 (1999) 113-149]) of its linearized Poincaré map contains no 2×2 rotation matrix with rotation angle which is an irrational multiple of π, or irrational otherwise. We prove that if there exists only one prime closed geodesic on a d-dimensional irreversible Finsler sphere with d?2, it cannot be rational. Then we further prove that there exist always at least two distinct prime closed geodesics on every irreversible Finsler 3-dimensional sphere. Our method yields also at least two geometrically distinct closed geodesics on every reversible Finsler as well as Riemannian 3-dimensional sphere. We prove also such results hold for all compact simply connected 3-dimensional manifolds with irreversible or reversible Finsler as well as Riemannian metrics.     

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.     

Volume preserving flows with cyclic winding numbers groups and without periodic orbits on 3-manifolds

We construct examples of volume preserving non-singular C ¹ vector fields on closed orientable 3-manifolds, which have cyclic winding numbers groups with respect to the preserved volume element, but have no periodic orbits. Received: 17 January 1998 / Revised version: 31 March 1998     

Normal forms for stochastic differential equations

Summary.   We address the following problem from the intersection of dynamical systems and stochastic analysis: Two SDE dx _t = ∑ _{j =0} ^m f _j (x _t )∘dW _t ^j and dx _t =∑ _{j =0} ^m g _j (x _t )∘dW _t ^j in ℝ ^d with smooth coefficients satisfying f _j (0)=g _j (0)=0 are said to be smoothly equivalent if there is a smooth random diffeomorphism (coordinate transformation) h(ω) with h(ω,0)=0 and Dh(ω,0)=id which conjugates the corresponding local flows,