Higher systolic inequalities for 3-dimensional contact manifolds (Q2144258)

3-dimensional contact manifolds are considered. If the associated Reeb flow of the contact form of such a manifold is periodic, then this form is called Besse. The main result of the work is a characterization of Besse contact forms as local maximizers of the higher systolic ratios. Theorem. Let $Y$ be a closed, connected, orientable 3-dimensional manifold and let $k>0$ be an integer. \begin{itemize} \item[(I)] If a contact form $\lambda_0$ on $Y$ is a local maximizer of the $k$-th systolic ratio $\rho_k$ in the $C^\infty$-topology, then $\lambda_0$ is Besse with $k_0(\lambda_0)=k$. \item[(II)] Every Besse contact form $\lambda_0$ on $Y$ such that $k_0(\lambda_0)=k$ has a $C^3$-neighborhood $U$ in the space of contact forms on the manifold $Y$ such that \[ \rho_k(\lambda)\leq \rho_k(\lambda_0),\quad\forall \lambda\in U, \] with equality if and only if there exists a diffeomorphism $\theta:Y\to Y$ such that $\theta^*\lambda=c\lambda_0$ for some $c>0$. \end{itemize}