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We show that if K: P \to R is an autonomous Hamiltonian on a symplectic manifold (P,\Omega) which attains 0 as a Morse-Bott nondegenerate minimum along a symplectic submanifold M, and if c_1(TP)|_M vanishes in real cohomology, then the Hamiltonian flow of K has contractible periodic orbits with bounded period on all sufficiently small energy levels. As a special case, if the geodesic flow on the cotangent bundle of M is twisted by a symplectic magnetic field form, then the resulting flow has contractible periodic orbits on all low energy levels. These results were proven by Ginzburg and G\"urel when \Omega|_M is spherically rational, and our proof builds on their work; the argument involves constructing and carefully analyzing at the chain level a version of filtered Floer homology in the symplectic normal disc bundle to M.

The fact that the modular template coincides with the Lorenz template, discovered by Ghys, implies modular knots have very peculiar properties. We obtain a generalization of these results to other Hecke triangle groups. In this context, the geodesic flow can never be seen as a flow on a subset of $S^3$, and one is led to consider embeddings into lens spaces. We will geometrically construct homeomorphisms from the unit tangent bundles of the orbifolds into the lens spaces, elliminating the need for elliptic functions. Finally we will use these homeomorphisms to compute templates for the geodesic flows. This offers a tool for topologically investigating their otherwise well studied periodic orbits.

The fact that the modular template coincides with the Lorenz template, discovered by Ghys, implies modular knots have very peculiar properties. We obtain a generalization of these results to other Hecke triangle groups. In this context, the geodesic flow can never be seen as a flow on a subset of $S^3$, and one is led to consider embeddings into lens spaces. We will geometrically construct homeomorphisms from the unit tangent bundles of the orbifolds into the lens spaces, elliminating the need for elliptic functions. Finally we will use these homeomorphisms to compute templates for the geodesic flows. This offers a tool for topologically investigating their otherwise well studied periodic orbits.

We show that generic infinite group extensions of geodesic flows on square tiled translation surfaces are ergodic in almost every direction, subject to certain natural constraints. Recently K. Fr\c{a}czek and C. Ulcigrai have shown that certain concrete staircases, covers of square-tiled surfaces, are not ergodic in almost every direction. In contrast we show the almost sure ergodicity of other concrete staircases. An appendix provides a combinatorial approach for the study of square-tiled surfaces.

We propose a new condition $\aleph$ which enables to get new results on integrable geodesic flows on closed surfaces. This paper has two parts. In the first, we strengthen Kozlov's theorem on non-integrability on surfaces of higher genus. In the second, we study integrable geodesic flows on 2-torus. Our main result for 2-torus describes the phase portraits of integrable flows. We prove that they are essentially standard outside, what we call, separatrix chains. The complement to the union of the separatrix chains is $C^0$-foliated by invariant sections of the bundle.

A class of self-dual and geodesically complete spacetimes with maximally superintegrable geodesic flows is constructed by applying the Eisenhart lift to mechanics in pseudo-Euclidean spacetime of signature (1,1). It is characterized by the presence of a second rank Killing tensor. Spacetimes of the ultrahyperbolic signature (2,q) with q > 2, which admit a second rank Killing tensor and possess superintegrable geodesic flows, are built.

Using the works of Ma\~n\'e \cite{Ma} and Paternain \cite{Pat} we study the distribution of geodesic arcs with respect to equilibrium states of the geodesic flow on a closed manifold, equipped with a $\mathcal{C}^{\infty}$ Riemannian metric. We prove large deviations lower and upper bounds and a contraction principle for the geodesic flow in the space of probability measures of the unit tangent bundle. We deduce a way of approximating equilibrium states for continuous potentials.

We study the kinematics of timelike geodesic congruences in two and four dimensions in spacetime geometries representing stringy black holes. The Raychaudhuri equations for the kinematical quantities (namely, expansion, shear and rotation) characterising such geodesic flows are written down and subsequently solved analytically (in two dimensions) and numerically (in four dimensions) for specific geodesics flows. We compare between geodesic flows in dual (electric and magnetic) stringy black hole backgrounds in four dimensions, by showing the differences that arise in the corresponding evolutions of the kinematic variables. The crucial role of initial conditions and the spacetime curvature on the evolution of the kinematical variables is illustrated. Some novel general conclusions on geodesic focusing are obtained from the analytical and numerical findings. We also propose new quantifiers in terms of (a) the time (affine parameter) of approach to a singularity and (b) the location of extrema in the functional evolution of the kinematic variables, which may be used to distinguish between flows in different geometries. In summary, our quantitative findings bring out hitherto unknown features of the kinematics of geodesic flows, which, otherwise, would have remained overlooked, if we confined ourselves to only a qualitative analysis.

In this paper we show that in some cases the E.Hopf rigidity phenomenon admits quantitative interpretation. More precisely we estimate from above the measure of the set $\mathcal{M}$ swept by minimal orbits. These estimates are sharp, i.e. if $\mathcal{M}$ occupies the whole phase space we recover the E.Hopf rigidity. We give these estimates in two cases: the first is the case of convex billiards in the plane, sphere or hyperbolic plane. The second is the case of conformally flat Riemannian metrics on a torus. It seems to be a challenging question to understand such a quantitative bounds for Burago-Ivanov theorem.

We consider the geodesic flow of reversible Finsler metrics on the 2-sphere and the 2-torus, whose geodesic flow has vanishing topological entropy. Following a construction of A. Katok, we discuss examples of Finsler metrics on both surfaces, which have large ergodic components for the geodesic flow in the unit tangent bundle. On the other hand, using results of J. Franks and M. Handel, we prove that ergodicity and dense orbits cannot occur in the full unit tangent bundle of the 2-sphere, if the Finsler metric has positive flag curvatures and at least two closed geodesics. In the case of the 2-torus, we show that ergodicity is restricted to strict subsets of tubes between flow-invariant tori in the unit tangent bundle of the 2-torus.

In this paper we study the geodesic flow for a particular class of Riemannian non-compact manifolds with variable pinched negative sectional curvature. For a sequence of invariant measures we are able to prove results relating the loss of mass and bounds on the measure entropies. We compute the entropy contribution of the cusps. We develop and study the corresponding thermodynamic formalism. We obtain certain regularity results for the pressure of a class of potentials. We prove that the pressure is real analytic until it undergoes a phase transition, after which it becomes constant. Our techniques are based on the one side on symbolic methods and Markov partitions and on the other on geometric techniques and approximation properties at level of groups.

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for an affine deformation of a Schottky subgroup of O(2,1) to act properly on affine space. There exists a real-valued biaffine map between the cohomology of the Schottky group and the space of geodesic currents on the corresponding hyperbolic surface S. For a fixed cohomology class, this map is uniformly positive or uniformly negative on the space of geodesic currents if and only if the corresponding affine deformation is proper. As a corollary, the deformation space of proper affine deformations is an open convex cone.

We give necessary and sufficient conditions for an affine deformation of a Schottky subgroup of O(2,1) to act properly on affine space. There exists a real-valued biaffine map between the cohomology of the Schottky group and the space of geodesic currents on the corresponding hyperbolic surface S. For a fixed cohomology class, this map is uniformly positive or uniformly negative on the space of geodesic currents if and only if the corresponding affine deformation is proper. As a corollary, the deformation space of proper affine deformations is an open convex cone.

In the paper as a new application of the Jacquet-Langlands correspondence we connect the transfer operators for different cofinite Fuchsian groups by comparing the corresponding Selberg zeta functions.

The purpose of this paper is to discuss the relationship between commutative and non-commutative integrability of Hamiltonian systems and to construct new examples of integrable geodesic flows on Riemannian manifolds. In particular, we prove that the geodesic flow of the bi-invariant metric on any bi-quotient of a compact Lie group is integrable in non-commutative sense by means of polynomial integrals, and therefore, in classical commutative sense by means of $C^\infty$--smooth integrals.

It is proved that the motion of a charge particle on a hyperbolic oriented two-dimensional surface in a magnetic field given by the volume form of the hyperbolic metric is completely integrable on the energy levels E < 1/2 in terms of real-analytic integrals. However it was known that on the level E=1/2 every trajectory is transitive and the restrictions of this flow onto the levels E>1/2 are Anosov flows

We investigate the spectrum of Lyapunov exponents for the geodesic flow of a compact rank 1 surface.

We consider volume-preserving perturbations of the time-one map of the geodesic flow of a compact surface with negative curvature. We show that if the Liouville measure has Lebesgue disintegration along the center foliation then the perturbation is itself the time-one map of a smooth volume-preserving flow, and that otherwise the disintegration is necessarily atomic.

Motivated by a paper of Bolsinov and Taimanov DG/9911193 we consider non-holonomic situation and exhibit examples of sub-Riemannian metrics with integrable geodesic flows and positive topological entropy. Moreover the Riemannian examples are obtained as "holonomization" of sub-Riemannian ones. A feature of non-holonomic situation is non-compactness of the phase space. We also exhibit a Liouvulle-integrable Hamiltonian system with topological entropy of all integrals positive.

We show that if a Finsler metric on $S^2$ with reversibility $r$ has flag curvatures $K$ satisfying $(\frac{r}{r+1})^2

We adjust Arnoux's coding, in terms of regular continued fractions, of the geodesic flow on the modular surface to give a cross section on which the return map is a double cover of the natural extension for the \alpha-continued fractions, for each $\alpha$ in (0,1]. The argument is sufficiently robust to apply to the Rosen continued fractions and their recently introduced \alpha-variants.

The Teichm\"uller space $\mathcal{T}_S(\mathbf{b})$ of hyperbolic metrics on a surface $S$ with fixed lengths at the boundary components is symplectic. We prove that any sum of infinitesimal earthquakes on $S$ that is tangent to $\mathcal{T}_S(\mathbf{b})$ is Hamiltonian, by providing a Hamiltonian $\mathbb{L}$. Such function extends the classical length map associated to a compactly supported measured geodesic lamination and shares with it some peculiar properties, such as properness and strict convexity along earthquakes paths under usual topological conditions. As an application, we prove that any non-Fuchsian affine representation of $\pi_1(S)$ into $\mathbb{R}^{2,1}\rtimes SO_0(2,1)$ with cocompact discrete linear part is determined by the singularities of the two invariant regular domains in $\mathbb{R}^{2,1}$ pointed out by Barbot, once the boundary lengths are fixed.

In this paper we discuss the stability of geodesic spheres in $\mathbb{S}^{n+1}$ under constrained curvature flows. We prove that under some standard assumptions on the speed and weight functions, the spheres are stable under perturbations that preserve a volume type quantity. This extends results by Escher and Simonett, 1998, and the author, 2015, to a Riemannian manifold setting.

In this survey article we gather classical as well as recent results on minimal geodesics of Riemannian or Finsler metrics, giving special attention to the two-dimensional case. Moreover, we present open problems together with some first ideas as to the solutions.

We obtain necessary and sufficient conditions for the integrability in quadratures of geodesic flows on homogeneous spaces $M$ with invariant and central metrics. The proposed integration algorithm consists in using a special canonical transformation in the space $T^*M$ based on constructing the canonical coordinates on the orbits of the coadjoint representation and on the simplectic sheets of the Poisson algebra of invariant functions. This algorithm is applicable to integrating geodesic flows on homogeneous spaces of a wild Lie group.

Let $Q$ be a compact, connected $n$-dimensional Riemannian manifold, and assume that the geodesic flow is toric integrable. If $n \neq 3$ is odd, or if $\pi_1(Q)$ is infinite, we show that the cosphere bundle of $Q$ is equivariantly contactomorphic to the cosphere bundle of the torus $\T^n$. As a consequence, $Q$ is homeomorphic to $\T^n$.

Ricci and sectional curvatures of twisted flux tubes in Riemannian manifold are computed to investigate the stability of the tubes. The geodesic equations are used to show that in the case of thick tubes, the curvature of planar (Frenet torsion-free) tubes have the effect ct of damping the flow speed along the tube. Stability of geodesic flows in the Riemannian twisted thin tubes (almost filaments), against constant radial perturbations is investigated by using the method of negative sectional curvature for unstable flows. No special form of the flow like Beltrami flows is admitted, and the proof is general for the case of thin tubes. It is found that for positive perturbations and angular speed of the flow, instability is achieved, since the sectional Ricci curvature of the twisted tube metric is negative.

We establish the background for the study of geodesics on noncompact polygonal surfaces. For illustration, we study the recurrence of geodesics on $Z$-periodic polygonal surfaces. We prove, in particular, that almost all geodesics on a topologically typical $Z$-periodic surface with boundary are recurrent.

In this paper we study quasi-linear system of partial differential equations which describes the existence of the polynomial in momenta first integral of the integrable geodesic flow on 2-torus. We proved in [3] that this is a semi-Hamiltonian system and we show here that the metric associated with the system is a metric of Egorov type. We use this fact in order to prove that in the case of integrals of degree three and four the system is in fact equivalent to a single remarkable equation of order 3 and 4 respectively. Remarkably the equation for the case of degree four has variational meaning: it is Euler-Lagrange equation of a variational principle. Next we prove that this equation for $n=4$ has formal double periodic solutions as a series in a small parameter.

We study the kinematics of timelike geodesic congruences, in the spacetime geometry of rotating black holes in three (the BTZ) and four (the Kerr) dimensions. The evolution (Raychaudhuri) equations for the expansion, shear and rotation along geodesic flows in such spacetimes are obtained. For the BTZ case, the equations are solved analytically. The effect of the negative cosmological constant on the evolution of the expansion ($\theta$), for congruences with and without an initial rotation ($\omega_0$) is noted. Subsequently, the evolution equations, in the case of a Kerr black hole in four dimensions are written and solved numerically, for some specific geodesics flows. It turns out that, for the Kerr black hole, there exists a critical value of the initial expansion below (above) which we have focusing (defocusing). We delineate the dependencies of the expansion, on the black hole angular momentum parameter, $a$, as well as on $\omega_0$. Further, the role of $a$ and $\omega_0$ on the time (affine parameter) of approach to a singularity (defocusing/focusing) is studied. While the role of $\omega_0$ on this time of approach is as expected, the effect of $a$ leads to an interesting new result.

We study integrable geodesic flows on Stiefel varieties $V_{n,r}=SO(n)/SO(n-r)$ given by the Euclidean, normal (standard), Manakov-type, and Einstein metrics. We also consider natural generalizations of the Neumann systems on $V_{n,r}$ with the above metrics and proves their integrability in the non-commutative sense by presenting compatible Poisson brackets on $(T^*V_{n,r})/SO(r)$. Various reductions of the latter systems are described, in particular, the generalized Neumann system on an oriented Grassmannian $G_{n,r}$ and on a sphere $S^{n-1}$ in presence of Yang-Mills fields or a magnetic monopole field. Apart from the known Lax pair for generalized Neumann systems, an alternative (dual) Lax pair is presented, which enables one to formulate a generalization of the Chasles theorem relating the trajectories of the systems and common linear spaces tangent to confocal quadrics. Additionally, several extensions are considered: the generalized Neumann system on the complex Stiefel variety $W_{n,r}=U(n)/U(n-r)$, the matrix analogs of the double and coupled Neumann systems.

We consider the Lagrange and the Markov dynamical spectra associated to a geodesic flow on a surface of negative curvature. We show that for a large set of real functions on the unit tangent bundle and for typical metrics with negative curvature and finite volume, both the Lagrange and the Markov dynamical spectra have non-empty interior.

In this paper we study some generic properties of the geodesic flows on a convex sphere. We prove that, $C^r$ generically ($2\le r\le\infty$), every hyperbolic closed geodesic admits some transversal homoclinic orbits.

The leafwise cohomology of the weak stable foliation of the geodesic flows is very important in the study of the space of actions whose orbit foliation is the weak stable foliation of geodesic flows.The dimension one cohomology was computed by S.Matsumoto and Y.Mitsumatsu in [MM].In this article we compute the second dimension cohomology completing the study of the cohomology of these foliations.

Any smooth surface in R^3 may be flattened along the z-axis, and the flattened surface becomes close to a billiard table in R^2 . We show that, under some hypotheses, the geodesic flow of this surface converges locally uniformly to the billiard flow. Moreover, if the billiard is dispersive and has finite horizon, then the geodesic flow of the corresponding surface is Anosov. We apply this result to the theory of mechanical linkages and their dynamics: we provide a new example of a simple linkage whose physical behavior is Anosov. For the first time, the edge lengths of the mechanism are given explicitly.

Any smooth surface in R^3 may be flattened along the z-axis, and the flattened surface becomes close to a billiard table in R^2 . We show that, under some hypotheses, the geodesic flow of this surface converges locally uniformly to the billiard flow. Moreover, if the billiard is dispersive and has finite horizon, then the geodesic flow of the corresponding surface is Anosov. We apply this result to the theory of mechanical linkages and their dynamics: we provide a new example of a simple linkage whose physical behavior is Anosov. For the first time, the edge lengths of the mechanism are given explicitly.

Normal geodesic flows flows of Carnot-Caratheodory are discussed from the point of view of the theory of Hamiltonian systems. The geodesic flows corresponding to left-invariant metrics and left- and -right-invariant rank 2 distributions on the three-dimensional Heisenberg group are analysed as integrable systems. The flows corresponding to left-invariant metrics and left-invariant distributions on Lie groups are reduced to Euler equations on Lie groups. Relation of these constructions to problems of analytical mechanics is discussed.

We show that an invariant surface allows to construct the Jacobi vector field along a geodesic and construct the formula for the normal component of the Jacobi field. If a geodesic is the transversal intersection of two invariant surfaces (such situation we have, for example, if the geodesic is hyperbolic), then we can construct a fundamental solution of the the Jacobi-Hill equation. This is done for quadratically integrable geodesic flows.

We consider the geodesic motion on the symmetric moduli spaces that arise after timelike and spacelike reductions of supergravity theories. The geodesics correspond to timelike respectively spacelike $p$-brane solutions when they are lifted over a $p$-dimensional flat space. In particular, we consider the problem of constructing \emph{the minimal generating solution}: A geodesic with the minimal number of free parameters such that all other geodesics are generated through isometries. We give an intrinsic characterization of this solution in a wide class of orbits for various supergravities in different dimensions. We apply our method to three cases: (i) Einstein vacuum solutions, (ii) extreme and non-extreme D=4 black holes in N=8 supergravity and their relation to N=2 STU black holes and (iii) Euclidean wormholes in $D\geq 3$. In case (iii) we present an easy and general criterium for the existence of regular wormholes for a given scalar coset.

In this paper, by modifying the argument shift method,we prove Liouville integrability of geodesic flows of normal metrics (invariant Einstein metrics) on the Ledger-Obata $n$-symmetric spaces $K^n/\diag(K)$, where $K$ is a semisimple (respectively, simple) compact Lie group.

We study the relationship between the Lyapunov exponents of the geodesic flow of a closed negatively curved manifold and the geometry of the manifold. We show that if each periodic orbit of the geodesic flow has exactly one Lyapunov exponent on the unstable bundle then the manifold has constant negative curvature. We also show under a curvature pinching condition that equality of all Lyapunov exponents with respect to volume on the unstable bundle also implies that the manifold has constant negative curvature. We then study the degree to which one can emulate these rigidity theorems for the hyperbolic spaces of nonconstant negative curvature when the Lyapunov exponents with respect to volume match those of the appropriate symmetric space and obtain rigidity results under additional technical assumptions. The proofs use new results from hyperbolic dynamics including the nonlinear invariance principle of Avila and Viana and the approximation of Lyapunov exponents of invariant measures by Lyapunov exponents associated to periodic orbits which was developed by Kalinin in his proof of the Livsic theorem for matrix cocycles. We also employ rigidity results of Capogna and Pansu on quasiconformal mappings of certain nilpotent Lie groups.

We prove complete integrability of the Manakov-type SO(n)-invariant geodesic flows on homogeneous spaces $SO(n)/SO(k_1)\times...\times SO(k_r)$, for any choice of $k_1,...,k_r$, $k_1+...+k_r\le n$. In particular, a new proof of the integrability of a Manakov symmetric rigid body motion around a fixed point is presented. Also, the proof of integrability of the SO(n)-invariant Einstein metrics on $SO(k_1+k_2+k_3)/SO(k_1)\times SO(k_2)\times SO(k_3)$ and on the Stiefel manifolds $V(n,k)=SO(n)/SO(k)$ is given.

In this paper we study the ergodic theory of the geodesic flow on negatively curved geometrically finite manifolds. We prove that the measure theoretic entropy is upper semicontinuous when there is no loss of mass. In case we are losing mass, the critical exponents of parabolic subgroups of the fundamental group have a significant meaning. More precisely, the failure of upper-semicontinuity of the entropy is determinated by the maximal parabolic critical exponent. We also study the pressure of positive H\"older continuous potentials going to zero through the cusps. We prove that the pressure map $t\mapsto P(tF)$ is differentiable until it undergoes a phase transition, after which it becomes constant. This description allows, in particular, to compute the entropy at infinity of the geodesic flow.

In this paper we discuss the phenomenon of phase transitions for the geodesic flow on some geometrically finite negatively curved manifolds. We define a class of potentials going slowly to zero through the cusps of $X$ for which, modulo taking coverings, the pressure map $t\mapsto P(tF)$ exhibits a phase transition. By careful choice of the metric at the cusp we can show that the geometric potential (or unstable jacobian) $F^{su}$ belongs to this class of potentials (modulo an additive constant). This results in particular apply for the geodesic flow on a $M$-puncture sphere for every $M\ge 3$.

We construct Riemannian manifolds with completely integrable geodesic flows, in particular various nonhomogeneous examples. The methods employed are a modification of Thimm's method, Riemannian submersions and connected sums.

We provide an elementary proof of the Franks lemma for geodesic flows that uses basic tools of geometric control theory.

We construct a template with two ribbons that describes the topology of all periodic orbits of the geodesic flow on the unit tangent bundle to any sphere with three cone points with hyperbolic metric. The construction relies on the existence of a particular coding with two letters for the geodesics on these orbifolds.

In the present work we consider the behavior of the geodesic flow on the unit tangent bundle of the 2-torus $T^2$ for an arbitrary Riemannian metric. A natural non-negative quantity which measures the complexity of the geodesic flow is the topological entropy. In particular, positive topological entropy implies chaotic behavior on an invariant set in the phase space of positive Hausdorff-dimension (horseshoe). We show that in the case of zero topological entropy the flow has properties similar to integrable systems. In particular there exists a non-trivial continuous constant of motion which measures the direction of geodesics lifted onto the universal covering $\Br^2$. Furthermore, those geodesics travel in strips bounded by Euclidean lines. Moreover we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for vanishing topological entropy involving intersection properties of single geodesics on $T^2$.

The only one example has been known of magnetic geodesic flow on the 2-torus which has a polynomial in momenta integral independent of the Hamiltonian. In this example the integral is linear in momenta and corresponds to a one parametric group preserving the Lagrangian function of the magnetic flow. In this paper the problem of integrability on one energy level is considered. This problem can be reduced to a remarkable Semi-hamiltonian system of quasi-linear PDEs and to the question of existence of smooth periodic solutions for this system. Our main result states that the pair of Liouville metric with zero magnetic field on the 2-torus can be analytically deformed to a Riemannian metric with small magnetic field so that the magnetic geodesic flow on an energy level is integrable by means of a quadratic in momenta integral. Thus our construction gives a new example of smooth periodic solution to the Semi-hamiltonian (Rich) quasi-linear system of PDEs.

We consider stochastic perturbations of geodesic flow for left-invariant metrics on finite-dimensional Lie groups and study the H\"ormander condition and some properties of the solutions of the corresponding Fokker-Planck equations.