A \(C^0\) counterexample to the Arnold conjecture (Q1656358): Difference between revisions

If \((M,\omega)\) is a closed and connected symplectic manifold, then a symplectic diffeomorphism is a diffeomorphism \(\theta:M\to M\) such that \(\theta^*\omega=\omega\). The set of all symplectic diffeomorphisms of \(M\) is denoted by \(\text{Symp}(M,\omega)\). A smooth Hamiltonian \(H:[0,1]\times M\to\mathbb R\) gives rise to a Hamiltonian flow \(\varphi^t_H\). A Hamiltonian diffeomorphism is a diffeomorphism which arises as the time-one map of a Hamiltonian flow and the set of all Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms is denoted by \(\text{Ham}(M,\omega)\). A homeomorphism \(\theta:M\to M\) is said to be symplectic if it is the \(C^0\)-limit of a sequence of symplectic diffeomorphisms and the set of all symplectic homeomorphisms is denoted by \(\text{Sympeo}(M,\omega)\). If \(B\) is an open subset of \(M\), \((\varphi^t)\), \(t\in[0,1]\), is an isotopy of \(M\) which is compactly supported in \(B\), then \(\varphi^t\) is said to be a hameotopy, or a continuous Hamiltonian flow, of \(B\) if there exists a sequence of smooth and compactly supported Hamiltonians \(H_i:[0,1]\times B\to\mathbb R\) such that (i) the sequence of flows \(\varphi^t_{H_i}\) \(C^0\)-converges to \(\varphi^t\) uniformly in \(t\) and (ii)\, the sequence of Hamiltonians \(H_i\) converges uniformly to a continuous function \(H:[0,1]\times M\to\mathbb R\). Furthermore, \(H\) is called a continuous Hamiltonian and \(H\) generates \(\varphi^t=\varphi^t_H\). A homeomorphism is called a Hamiltonian homeomorphism if it is the time-1 map of a continuous Hamiltonian flow and the set of all Hamiltonian homeomorphisms is denoted by \(\text{Hameo}(B,\omega)\). The Arnold conjecture states that a Hamiltonian diffeomorphism of a closed and connected symplectic manifold \((M,g)\) must have at least as many fixed points as the minimal number of critical points of a smooth function on \(M\). It is well known that the Arnold conjecture holds for Hamiltonian {homeomorphisms} of closed symplectic surfaces. In this paper, the authors provide a counterexample to the Arnold conjecture for Hamiltonian homeomorphisms in dimensions four and higher. They prove that if \((M,\omega)\) is a closed and connected symplectic manifold of dimension at least four, then there exists \(f\in\text{Hameo}(M,\omega)\) with a single fixed point. Furthermore, \(f\) can be chosen to satisfy either of the following additional properties (i)\, if \({\mathcal{H}}\) is a normal subgroup of \(\text{Sympeo}(M,\omega)\) which contains \(\text{Ham}(M,\omega)\) as a proper subset, then, \(f\in{\mathcal{H}}\), (ii)\, if \(p\) is the unique fixed point of \(f\), then \(f\) is a symplectic diffeomorphism of \(M\backslash\{p\}\).