Comparison results for conjugate and focal points in semi-Riemannian geometry via Maslov index (Q1036209)

In semi-Riemannian geometry, the set of conjugate or focal points along a geodesic is studied using the Maslov index. It is a symplectic integer-valued invariant assciated to the Jacobi equation, or more generally to the linearized Hamilton equations along a solution of a Hamiltonian system. This number replaces the Morse index of the index form, which is in the general semi-Riemannian case indefinite. In the Riemannian or causal Lorentzian case, the Maslov index of a geodesic relative to some fixed Lagrangian coincides with the number of conjugate or focal points counted with multiplicity. In the paper, an estimate on the difference between Maslov indices relative to the choice of two distinct reference Lagrangians is proved. The result is applied to the study of conjugate and focal points along a geodesic in a semi-Riemannian manifold. These results are semi-Riemannian analogues of the standard comparison theorems in Riemannian geometry. An interesting observation shows that Riemannian versions of the results proved in the paper are obtained here with a proof which is more elementary than the classical one using Morse theory.