Counting closed geodesics in globally hyperbolic maximal compact AdS 3-manifolds

We propose a definition for the length of closed geodesics in a globally hyperbolic maximal compact (GHMC) Anti-De Sitter manifold. We then prove that the number of closed geodesics of length less than R grows exponentially fast with R and the exponential growth rate is related to the critical exponent associated to the two hyperbolic surfaces coming from Mess parametrization. We get an equivalent of three results for quasi-Fuchsian manifolds in the GHMC setting: Bowen’s rigidity theorem of critical exponent, Sanders’ isolation theorem and McMullen’s examples lightening the behaviour of this exponent when the surfaces range over Teichmüller space.     

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     

Decomposition of spaces with geodesics contained in compact flats

We prove a decomposition result for analytic spaces all of whose geodesics are contained in compact flats. Namely, we prove that a Riemannian manifold is such a space if and only if it admits a (finite) cover which splits as the product of a flat torus with simply connected factors which are either symmetric (of the compact type) or spaces of closed geodesics.

     

Closed geodesics on orbifolds of nonpositive or nonnegative curvature

In this note we prove existence of closed geodesics of positive length on compact developable orbifolds of nonpositive or nonnegative curvature. We also include a geometric proof of existence of closed geodesics whenever the orbifold fundamental group contains a hyperbolic element and therefore reduce the existence problem to developable orbifolds with \(\pi _1^{orb}\) infinite and having finite exponent and finitely many conjugacy classes.     

Trace Equivalence in SU(2, 1)

In this paper it is shown that one can choose an arbitrarily large number of inconjugate elements of the group Z/2Z*Z/2Z*Z/2Z which have the property that, under all representations of the group in SU(2,1) as a discrete complex hyperbolic ideal triangle group, the elements are hyperbolic and correspond to closed geodesics of equal length on the associated complex hyperbolic surface. This is an analogue of the geometric fact that the multiplicity of the length spectrum of a Riemann surface is never bounded or the equivalent algebraic phenomenon that an arbitrarily large number of conjugacy classes in a free group can have the same trace under all representations in SL(2,R ).     

Topological dynamics of the Weil-Petersson geodesic flow

We prove topological transitivity for the Weil-Petersson geodesic flow for real two-dimensional moduli spaces of hyperbolic structures. Our proof follows a new approach that combines the density of singular unit tangent vectors, the geometry of cusps and convexity properties of negative curvature. We also show that the Weil-Petersson geodesic flow has: horseshoes, invariant sets with positive topological entropy, and that there are infinitely many hyperbolic closed geodesics, whose number grows exponentially in length. Furthermore, we note that the volume entropy is infinite.     

A classification of hyperpolar and cohomogeneity one actions

An isometric action of a compact Lie group on a Riemannian manifold is called hyperpolar if there exists a closed, connected submanifold that is flat in the induced metric and meets all orbits orthogonally. In this article, a classification of hyperpolar actions on the irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces of compact type is given. Since on these symmetric spaces actions of cohomogeneity one are hyperpolar, i.e. normal geodesics are closed, we obtain a classification of the homogeneous hypersurfaces in these spaces by computing the cohomogeneity for all hyperpolar actions. This result implies a classification of the cohomogeneity one actions on compact strongly isotropy irreducible homogeneous spaces.

     

A new class of compact spacetimes without closed causal geodesics

We construct the first examples of geodesically complete compact spacetimes admitting a regular globally hyperbolic covering, but which do not contain closed causal geodesics.      

Hyperbolic 3-Manifolds With Nonintersecting Closed Geodesics

A hyperbolic 3-manifold is said to have the spd-property if all its closed geodesics are simple and pairwise disjoint. For a 3-manifold which supports a geometrically finite hyperbolic structure we show the following dichotomy: either the generic hyperbolic structure has the spd-property or no hyperbolic structure has the spd-property. Both cases are shown to occur. In particular, we prove that the generic hyperbolic structure on the interior of a handlebody (or a surface cross an interval) of negative Euler characteristic has the spd-property. Simplicity and disjointness are consequences of a variational result for hyperbolic surfaces. Namely, the intersection angle between closed geodesics varies nontrivially under deformation of a hyperbolic surface.     

A Note on Collars of Simple Closed Geodesics

For compact hyperbolic Riemann surfaces, the collar theorem gives a lower bound on the distance between a simple closed geodesic and all other simple closed geodesics that do not intersect the initial geodesic. Here it is shown that there are two possible configurations, and in each configuration there is a natural collar width associated to a simple closed geodesic. If one extends the natural collar of a simple closed geodesic α by ε >0, then the extended collar contains an infinity of simple closed geodesics that do not intersect α.Mathematics Subject Classiffications (2000). primary: 30F45; secondary: 32G07     

Local compactness in right bounded asymmetric normed spaces

We characterize the finite dimensional asymmetric normed spaces which are right bounded and the relation of this property with the natural compactness properties of the unit ball, such as compactness and strong compactness. In contrast with some results found in the existing literature, we show that not all right bounded asymmetric norms have compact closed balls. We also prove that there are finite dimensional asymmetric normed spaces that satisfy that the closed unit ball is compact, but not strongly compact, closing in this way an open question on the topology of finite dimensional asymmetric normed spaces. In the positive direction, we will prove that a finite dimensional asymmetric normed space is strongly locally compact if and only if it is right bounded.     

The inaudible geometry of nilmanifolds

Summary We show that isospectral deformations of compact Riemannian two-step nilmanifolds can be systematically detected by simple changes in the behavior of their geodesics, in spite of the fact that the length spectrum (which measures the lengths of all closed geodesics) remains constant.Oblatum 22-III-1992     

Chebotarev-type theorems in homology classes

We describe how closed geodesics lying in a prescribed homology class on a negatively curved manifold split when lifted to a finite cover. This generalizes a result of Zelditch in the case of compact hyperbolic surfaces.

     

On causality and closed geodesics of compact Lorentzian manifolds and static spacetimes

Some results related to the causality of compact Lorentzian manifolds are proven: (1) any compact Lorentzian manifold which admits a timelike conformal vector field is totally vicious, and (2) a compact Lorentzian manifold covered regularly by a globally hyperbolic spacetime admits a timelike closed geodesic, if some natural topological assumptions (fulfilled, for example, if one of the conjugacy classes of deck transformations containing a closed timelike curve is finite) hold. As a consequence, any compact Lorentzian manifold conformal to a static spacetime is geodesically connected by causal geodesics, and admits a timelike closed geodesic.     

Varietes Hyperboliques A Geodesiques Arbitrairement Courtes

We give a method to construct hyperbolic 3-manifolds whose topologicaltype is finite, but which contain closed geodesics of arbitrarilysmall length.     

Geschlossene hyperbolische 3-Mannigfaltigkeiten sind geodätisch starr

Three-dimensional closed hyperbolic manifolds are geodesically rigid: if two metrics have the same geodesics then they are homothetic.

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Received: 16 March 2001     

The Carathéodory topology for multiply connected domains I

We consider the convergence of pointed multiply connected domains in the Carathéodory topology. Behaviour in the limit is largely determined by the properties of the simple closed hyperbolic geodesics which separate components of the complement. Of particular importance are those whose hyperbolic length is as short as possible which we call meridians of the domain. We prove continuity results on convergence of such geodesics for sequences of pointed hyperbolic domains which converge in the Carathéodory topology to another pointed hyperbolic domain. Using these we describe an equivalent condition to Carathéodory convergence which is formulated in terms of Riemann mappings to standard slit domains.     

A note on hyperbolic 3-manifolds of the same volume

We describe a method for constructing an arbitrary number of closed hyperbolic 3-manifolds of the same volume. In fact we prove that many hyperbolic 3-manifolds of finite volume have an arbitrary number of non-homeomorphic finite convering spaces of the same degree and hence the same volume. This applies, for example, to all hyperbolic 3-manifolds whose universal covering group is a subgroup of finite index in a Coxeter group generated by the reflections in the faces of a hyperbolic Coxeter polyhedron. It also applies to all hyperbolic 3-manifolds of finite volume with at least one cusp.     

Collars and partitions of hyperbolic cone-surfaces

For compact Riemann surfaces, the collar theorem and Bers’ partition theorem are major tools for working with simple closed geodesics. The main goal of this article is to prove similar theorems for hyperbolic cone-surfaces. Hyperbolic two-dimensional orbifolds are a particular case of such surfaces. We consider all cone angles to be strictly less than π to be able to consider partitions. Emily B. Dryden—partially supported by the US National Science Foundation grant DMS-0306752. Hugo Parlier—supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation grants 21-57251.99 and 20-68181.02.     

Collars in Complex and Quaternionic Hyperbolic Manifolds

We use the complex and quaternionic hyperbolic versions of Jørgensen's inequality to construct embedded collars about short, simple, closed geodesics in complex and quaternionic hyperbolic manifolds. In general, the width of these collars depend both on the length of the geodesic and on the rotational part of the group element uniformising it. For complex hyperbolic space we are able to use a lemma of Zagier to give an estimate based only on the length. We show that these canonical collars are disjoint from each other and from canonical cusps. We also calculate the volumes of these collars.