Asymptotic equivalence of symplectic capacities (Q268285): Difference between revisions

Symplectic capacities are numbers associated to a symplectic manifold, satisfying certain axioms, and which in particular are invariant under symplectomorphisms. A plethora of symplectic capacities have been constructed, and we refer to [\textit{K. Cieliebak} et al., Math. Sci. Res. Inst. Publ. 54, 1--44 (2007; Zbl 1143.53341)] for an overview. Let \((U,\omega)\) be a \(2n\)-dimensional symplectic manifold. The most famous symplectic capacities are the so-called \textit{Gromov width} \[ \underline{c}(U)=\sup\{\pi r^2| (B^{2n}(r),\omega_0) \hookrightarrow (U,\omega)\} \] together with the \textit{cylindrical capacity} \[ \overline{c}(S)=\inf\{\pi r^2| (U,\omega) \hookrightarrow (B^2(r)\times \mathbb{R}^{2(n-1)},\omega_0)\}. \] These quantities were first studied by Gromov, whose famous non-squeezing theorem can be stated as the inequality \(\underline{c}(U) \leq \overline{c}(U)\). An important open problem in symplectic topology is the question whether \(\underline{c}(K)=\overline{c}(K)\) holds for \textit{convex domains} \(K \subset \mathbb R^{2n}\) (only in the case \(n=1\) the answer is known, where equality indeed holds). A positive answer to this question would settle the so-called Mahler conjecture in convex geometry; see [\textit{S. Artstein-Avidan} et al., Duke Math. J. 163, No. 11, 2003--2022 (2014; Zbl 1330.52004)]. As shown by \textit{C. Viterbo} in [J. Am. Math. Soc. 13, No. 2, 411--431 (2000; Zbl 0964.53050)], the inequality \[ \overline{c}(K) \leq 4n^2 \underline{c}(K) \] is satisfied for convex domains. A weaker form of the conjecture asks whether there is a universal constant \(A>0\) (i.e., independent of \(n>0\)) for which \(\overline{c}(K) \leq A \underline{c}(K)\). The paper considers a version of the inequality involving the cylindrical capacity together with the Ekeland-Hofer-Zehnder capacity \(c_{\mathrm{EHZ}}(K)\) (equivalently defined as either the Ekeland-Hofer or the Hofer-Zehnder capacity on a convex domain), which on a smooth convex domain \(K \subset \mathbb R^{2n},\) is given as the minimal symplectic action of a closed characteristic curve in the boundary of \(K\). The main result of the article establishes the inequality \[ \overline{c}(K) \leq 4c_{\mathrm{EHZ}}(K) \] for open convex subsets \(K \subset \mathbb R^{2n}\) which are \textit{centrally symmetric}, i.e., which satisfy \(K=-K\). Note that very little is known about the relations between the different capacities on a general convex domain, while in some (very) special cases of convex subsets all capacities are known to coincide.