Spectral Flow,Maslov Index and Bifurcation of Semi-Riemannian Geodesics

We give a functional analytical proof of the equalitybetween the Maslov index of a semi-Riemannian geodesicand the spectral flow of the path of self-adjointFredholm operators obtained from the index form. This fact, together with recent results on the bifurcation for critical points of strongly indefinite functionals imply that each nondegenerate and nonnull conjugate (or P-focal)point along a semi-Riemannian geodesic is a bifurcation point.In particular, the semi-Riemannian exponential map is notinjective in any neighborhood of a nondegenerate conjugate point,extending a classical Riemannian result originally due to Morse and Littauer.     

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     

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.     

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.     

The effects of concave and convex nonlinearities in some noncooperative elliptic systems

We consider a class of elliptic systems leading to strongly indefinite functionals, with nonlinearities which involve a combination of concave and convex terms. Using variational methods, we prove the existence of infinitely many large and small energy solutions. Our approach relies on new critical point theorems which guarantee the existence of infinitely many critical values of a wide class of strongly indefinite even functionals. Our abstract critical points theorems generalize the fountain theorems of T. Bartsch and M. Willem.     

Nonlinear Dirac equations with critical nonlinearities on compact spin manifolds

We study some basic analytical problems for nonlinear Dirac equations involving critical Sobolev exponents on compact spin manifolds. Their solutions are obtained as critical points of certain strongly indefinite functionals defined on H1/2-spinors with critical growth. We prove the existence of a non-trivial solution for the Brezis-Nirenberg type problem when the dimension m of the manifold is larger than 3. We also prove a global compactness result for the associated Palais-Smale sequences and the regularity of -weak solutions.     

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).     

Existence results for solutions to nonlinear Dirac equations on compact spin manifolds

We consider super-linear and sub-linear nonlinear Dirac equations on compact spin manifolds. Their solutions are obtained as critical points of certain strongly indefinite functionals on a Hilbert space. For both cases, we establish existence results via Galerkin type approximations and linking arguments. For a particular case of odd nonlinearities, we prove the existence of infinitely many solutions.     

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     

Erratum to: “Multiple critical points of perturbed symmetric strongly indefinite functionals” [http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anihpc.2008.06.002]

We correct the statement and the proof of Proposition 9 in [D. Bonheure, M. Ramos, Multiple critical points of perturbed symmetric strongly indefinite functionals, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.anihpc.2008.06.002].     

A new morse index theory for strongly indefinite functionals

In this paper, a new Morse index theory for strongly indefinite functionals was developed via Gălerkin approximation. In particular, the abstract theory is valid for those kinds of strongly indefinite functionals corresponding to wave equation and beam equation.     

Multiple solutions for a system of equations with p-Laplacian

In the paper, by using of the Limit Index, we prove a theorem applying to get multiple critical values of some strongly indefinite nonsmooth functionals, and then we apply it to a system of equations involving the p-Laplacian.     

An infinite dimensional Morse theory with applications

In this paper we construct an infinite dimensional (extraordinary) cohomology theory and a Morse theory corresponding to it. These theories have some special properties which make them useful in the study of critical points of strongly indefinite functionals (by strongly indefinite we mean a functional unbounded from below and from above on any subspace of finite codimension). Several applications are given to Hamiltonian systems, the one-dimensional wave equation (of vibrating string type) and systems of elliptic partial differential equations.

     

The eikonal equation of an indefinite metric

The concept of a semi-Riemannian map is introduced and it is shown that such maps are solutions of the eikonal equation. Also the existence of solutions to the eikonal equation are discussed and their relation to the Laplace-Beltrami equation is investigated.Supported by the project TBAG-CG2, Tübitak, Turkey.     

Perturbed closed geodesics are periodic orbits: Index and transversality

We study the classical action functional ${\cal S}_V$ on the free loop space of a closed, finite dimensional Riemannian manifold M and the symplectic action on the free loop space of its cotangent bundle. The critical points of both functionals can be identified with the set of perturbed closed geodesics in M. The potential $V\in C^\infty(M\times S^1,\mathbb{R})$ serves as perturbation and we show that both functionals are Morse for generic V. In this case we prove that the Morse index of a critical point x of equals minus its Conley-Zehnder index when viewed as a critical point of and if is trivial. Otherwise a correction term +1 appears. Received: 21 May 2001; in final form: 10 October 2001 / Published online: 4 April 2002     

Bifurcation of critical points for continuous families of C 2 functionals of Fredholm type

Given a continuous family of C ² functionals of Fredholm type, we show that the nonvanishing of the spectral flow for the family of Hessians along a known (trivial) branch of critical points not only entails bifurcation of nontrivial critical points but also allows to estimate the number of bifurcation points along the branch. We use this result for several parameter bifurcation, estimating the number of connected components of the complement of the set of bifurcation points in the parameter space and apply our results to bifurcation of periodic orbits of Hamiltonian systems. By means of a comparison principle for the spectral flow, we obtain lower bounds for the number of bifurcation points of periodic orbits on a given interval in terms of the coefficients of the linearization.     

A nondifferentiable extension of a theorem of Pucci and Serrin and applications

We study the multiplicity of critical points for functionals which are only differentiable along some directions. We extend to this class of functionals the three critical point theorem of Pucci and Serrin and we apply it to a one-parameter family of functionals Jλ, λ∈I⊂R. Under suitable assumptions, we locate an open subinterval of values λ in I for which Jλ possesses at least three critical points. Applications to quasilinear boundary value problems are also given.     

Critical points theorems concerning strongly indefinite functionals and infinite many periodic solutions for a class of Hamiltonian systems

Based on new deformation theorems concerning strongly indefinite functionals, we give some new min-max theorems which are useful in looking for critical points of functionals which are strongly indefinite and satisfy Cerami condition instead of Palais-Smale condition. As one application of abstract results, we study existence of multiple periodic solutions for a class of non-autonomous first order Hamiltonian system

     

Computations of critical groups and applications to asymptotically linear wave equation and beam equation

In this paper, by using the Morse index theory for strongly indefinite functionals developed in [Nonlinear Anal. TMA, in press], we compute precisely the critical groups at the origin and at infinity, respectively. The abstract theorems are used to study the existence (multiplicity) of nontrivial periodical solutions for asymptotically wave equation and beam equation with resonance both at infinity and at zero.     

Multiple solutions of Schrödinger equations with indefinite linear part and super or asymptotically linear terms

Based on new information concerning strongly indefinite functionals without Palais-Smale conditions, we study existence and multiplicity of solutions of the Schrödinger equation