A Reeb flow on the three-sphere without a disk-like global surface of Section (Q2301844)

The paper shows the existence of a Reeb flow on the standard, tight three-sphere that does not admit a global disk-like surface of section. Motivation for this work comes from a theorem in [\textit{H. Hofer} et al., Ann. Math. (2) 148, No. 1, 197--289 (1998; Zbl 0944.37031)], stating that a Reeb flow on a dynamically convex, tight three-sphere admits a global disk-like surface of section. The Reeb condition is necessary since there are flows on the three-sphere without any periodic orbits [\textit{K. Kuperberg}, Ann. Math. (2) 140, No. 3, 723--732 (1994; Zbl 0856.57024)]; the theorem has been generalized in different directions [\textit{U. L. Hryniewicz}, J. Symplectic Geom. 12, No. 4, 791--862 (2014; Zbl 1334.53082); \textit{U. Hryniewicz} and \textit{P. A. S. Salomão}, Duke Math. J. 160, No. 3, 415--465 (2011; Zbl 1246.53114)]. In particular, the work of Hryniewicz and Salomão [loc. cit.] makes one wonder whether a disk-like global surface of section always exists for the tight three-sphere. The present paper shows that this is not the case. More precisely, its main result is the following Theorem. There is a Reeb flow on \(S^3\) equipped with its standard, tight contact structure, that does not admit a global surface of section with only one boundary component. In particular, this Reeb flow does not admit a disk-like global surface of section.