Multiplicity of closed Reeb orbits on dynamically convex \(\mathbb{R}P^{2n-1} \) for \(n\geq2\) (Q2078355)

The authors consider Reeb orbits on the real projective space \(\mathbb{R}P^{2n-1}\). Part of their motivation for this is the importance in celestial mechanics of the existence of closed Reeb orbits on real projective spaces. The primary goal is to generalize some results by \textit{I. Ekeland} and \textit{H. Hofer} [Comm. Math. Phys. 113, 419--469 (1987; Zbl 0641.58038)] for closed characteristics on compact convex hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) to symmetric compact star-shaped hypersurfaces. The authors investigate the multiplicity of closed Reeb orbits on dynamically convex \(\mathbb{R}P^{2n-1}\) for \(n \geq 2\). Dynamically convex for \(\mathbb{R}P^{2n-1}\) means that the Conley-Zehnder index of every contractible closed Reeb orbit is greater than or equal to \(n + 1\). Their main result is formulated as follows. Starting with a \(C^3\) compact hypersurface \(\Sigma\) in \(\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) that is strictly star-shaped with respect to the origin, define \(\mathcal{H}_{st} (2n)\) to be the set of all such hypersurfaces, and denote by \(\mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}_{st}\) all the hypersurfaces that are symmetric with respect to the origin. Finally, let \(\mathcal{T}_s(\Sigma)\) represent the set of geometrically distinct symmetric closed characteristics on \(\Sigma \in \mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}_{st} (2n)\). The main result is then that for every dynamically convex \(\Sigma \in \mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}_{st} (2n)\) for \(n \geq 2\), the cardinality of \(\mathcal{T}_s(\Sigma) \geq 2\). This means that there exists at least two non-contractible closed Reeb orbits on every dynamically convex \(\mathbb{R}P^{2n-1}\) for \(n \geq 2\). If \(\mathbb{R}P^{2n-1}\) is nondegenerate as well as dynamically convex, the authors also prove that there are at least \(n\) closed Reeb orbits. The authors also give an alternative proof of a theorem of \textit{M. Abreu} and \textit{L. Macarini} [Math. Ann. 369, 331--386 (2017; Zbl 1375.53096)] claiming that every dynamically convex \(\Sigma \in \mathcal{S}\mathcal{H}_{st} (2n)\) for \(n \geq 2\) carries an elliptic symmetric closed characteristic.