Closed geodesics on connected sums and \(3\)-manifolds (Q2135665)

The authors consider the number \(N_{\ell}\) of geometrically distinct closed geodesics of length at most \(\ell\) on a compact Riemannian or Finsler manifold. They first assume the manifold is a connected sum of compact manifolds, each of dimension three or more, not simply connected, and with some further conditions prove that \(\ell^{-1} N_{\ell}\log \ell\to\infty\). They then prove the same estimate assuming that the manifold is a \(3\)-manifold with infinite fundamental group. They conclude that the generic Riemannian metric on a compact \(3\)-manifold has infinitely many geometrically distinct closed geodesics.