Deviation of ergodic averages for rational polygonal billiards (Q939646): Difference between revisions

Let \(P\subset\mathbb{R}^2\) be a Euclidean polygon, and let \(G(P)\subset 0(2,\mathbb{R})\) be the subgroup generated by all reflections with axis parallel to an edge of \(P\) and passing through the origin. The polygon is called rational if \(G(P)\) is a finite group. The billiard flow on \(P\) is a flow on the unit tangent bundle \(T_1(P)= P\times S^1\), the trajectory of any \((x,v)\in T_1(P)\) moves with unit speed along a straight line in the direction \(v\in S^1\) upto the boundary \(\partial P\), where it is reflected according to the law of geometric optics. Let \(\Omega: P\times S^1\to \mathbb{R}\) be the composition of projection \(P\times S^1\to S^1\to S^1/G(P)\) and the identification \(S^1/G(P)\to I(P)\subset\mathbb{R}\), where \(I(P)\) is a compact interval. Denote by \(S_{P,\theta}\) the level surface \(S_{P,\theta}= \{(x,v)\in P\times P^1;\Omega(x,v)= \theta\}\). It is possible to show that all surfaces \(S_{P,\theta}\) for \(\theta\in\partial I(P)\) can be identified with rotaiton of a fixed translation surface \(S_P\) of genus \(g\geq 1\) so that the billiard flow restricted to \(S_{P,\theta}\) can be identified with the direction flow on \(S_P\). Let \(A_{P,\theta}\) denote the area form on the suface \(S_{P,\theta}\). After proving a general result on the estimation of the deviation of ergodic averages for the directional flow on a compact surface of genus \(g\), the authors prove a similar estimate of the deviation of ergodic averages for billiard flow on a rational polygon as follows: Let \(\psi_{\theta,t}\) denote the restriction of the billiard flow to the invariant surface \(S_{P,\theta}\). Then there exist an \(\alpha= \alpha(P)> 0\) and a measurable function \(K_P: S^1\to\mathbb{R}^+\) such that for almost all \(\theta\in S^1\), for all \(f\) in the standard Sobolev space \(H^1(S_{P,\theta})\) and all \(x\in S_{P,\theta}\) for which \(\psi_{\theta,t}(x)\) is defined for all \(t> 0\), the following estimate holds: \[ \Biggl|\int^T_0 f(\psi_{\theta,t}(x))\,dt- T\int f\,dA_{P,\theta}\Biggr|\leq K_P(\theta)\| f\|_{H^1(S_{P,\theta})} T^{1/-\alpha}. \]