On the symplectic size of convex polytopes (Q2416541)

If \(\mathbb R^{2n}\) is equipped with the standard symplectic structure \(\omega\), then a normalized symplectic capacity on \((\mathbb R^{2n},\omega)\) is a map \(c:U\subset\mathbb R^{2n}\to[0,\infty]\) satisfying (i)\, if \(U\subset V\) then \(c(U)\le c(V)\), (ii)\, \(c(\varphi(U))=c(U)\) for any symplectomorphism \(\varphi:\mathbb{R}^{2n}\to\mathbb{R}^{2n}\), (iii)\, \(c(\alpha U)=\alpha^2c(U)\) for \(\alpha>0\), and (iv)\, \(c(B^{2n}(r))=c(B^2(r)\times\mathbb{R}^{2n-2})=\pi r^r\). Two important examples for symplectic capacities are the Ekeland-Hofer capacity and the Hofer-Zehnder capacity. On the class of convex bodies, that is, compact convex sets with non-empty interior, in \(\mathbb{R}^{2n}\), they coincide and the resulting function is \(c_{\text{EHZ}}\), the EHZ capacity. The restriction of the standard symplectic form \(\omega\) to the boundary \(\partial\Sigma\) of a smooth domain \(\Sigma\) defines a 1-dimensional subbundle \(\ker(\omega_{|\partial\Sigma})\). A closed characteristic \(\gamma\) on \(\partial\Sigma\) is an embedded circle in \(\partial\Sigma\) whose velocity belongs to \(\ker(\omega_{|\partial\Sigma})\), i.e., \(\omega(\dot\gamma,v)=0\) for all \(v\in T\partial\Sigma\). This holds if and only if \(\dot\gamma(t)\) is parallel to \(Jn\), where \(n\) is the outer normal to \(\partial\Sigma\) at the point \(\gamma(t)\), and \(J\) is the standard complex structure. From the dynamical point of view, a closed characteristic is any reparametrization of a periodic solution to the Hamiltonian equation \(\dot\gamma(t)=J\nabla H(\gamma(t))\), for a smooth Hamiltonian function \(H:\mathbb{R}^{2n}\to\mathbb{R}\) with \(H_{|\partial\Sigma}=c\) and \(H_{|\Sigma}\le k\) for some \(k\in\mathbb{R}\) a regular value of \(H\). These periodic solutions are closed Hamiltonian trajectories. The action of a closed loop \(\gamma:[0,T]\to\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) is defined by \(A(\gamma)=\frac12\int\limits_0^T\langle J\gamma(t),\dot\gamma(t)\rangle\,dt\), and it equals the symplectic area of a disc enclosed by \(\gamma\). The EHZ capacity of a smooth convex body \(K\subset\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) is defined as \(c_{\text{EHZ}}(K)=\min\{A(\gamma)\}\) over all closed characteristics \(\gamma\) on \(\partial K\). By continuity, this definition is extended to non-smooth convex domains with non-empty interior. It turns out that also in the case of a non-smooth body, the capacity is given by the minimal action of a closed characteristic on the boundary of \(K\), however the discussion on generalized closed characteristics must be conducted in the case of convex polytopes. A closed characteristic on \(\partial K\) is a closed loop \(\gamma\in W^{1,2}([0,1],\mathbb{R}^{2n})\) which satisfies \(\text{Im}(\gamma)\subset\partial K\), and \(\dot\gamma(t)\in JN_K(\gamma(t))\) for almost every \(t\in[0,1]\), where \(W^{1,2}([0,1],\mathbb{R}^{2n})\) is the Hilbert space of absolutely continuous functions whose derivatives are square integrable. If \(K\subset\mathbb{R}^{2n}\) is a convex polytope with a non-empty interior, then \(\mathbf{F}_K\) is the number of \((2n-1)\)-dimensional facets of \(K\), \(\{F_i\}_{i=1}^{\mathbf{F}_K}\}\) are the facets, \(h_K(y)=\sup\limits_{x\in K}\langle x,y\rangle\) is the support function of \(K\), \(n_i\) is the unit outer normal to \(F_i\), \(hi=h_K(n_i)\) is the oriented height of \(F_i\), and \(S_{\mathbf{F}_K}\) is the symmetric group on \(\mathbf{F}_K\) letters. \par In this paper, the author introduces a combinatorial formula for the Ekeland-Hofer-Zehnder capacity of a convex polytope in \(\mathbb{R}^{2n}\). It is shown that \[ c_{\text{EHZ}}(K)=\frac12\left[\max\limits_{\substack{\sigma\in S_{\mathbf{F}_K}\\ (\beta_i)\in M(K)}}\sum\limits_{1 \le j < i\le \mathbf{F}_K}\beta_{\sigma(i)}\beta_{\sigma(j)}\omega(n_{\sigma(i)},n_{\sigma(j)})\right]^{-1}, \] where \(M(K)=\left\{(\beta_i)_{i=1}^{\mathbf{F}_K}\right\}\) with \(\beta_i\ge 0\), \(\sum\limits_{i=1}^{\mathbf{F}_K}\beta_ih_i=1\), and \(\sum\limits_{i=1}^{\mathbf{F}_K}\beta_in_i=0\). One application of this formula is a certain subadditivity property of this capacity.