Symplectically degenerate maxima via generating functions (Q2435116)

A remarkable feature of Hamiltonian systems on symplectic manifolds is the existence of periodic orbits. In [Physica A 124, 649--657 (1984; Zbl 0605.58015)] \textit{C. Conley} and \textit{E. Zehnder} conjectured that every Hamiltonian diffeomorphism of the standard symplectic torus \((T^{2d}, \omega)\) has infinitely many contractible periodic points (it should be noticed that a periodic point is contractible when it corresponds to a contractible periodic orbit of any associated Hamiltonian system). The Conley conjecture has been recently proved by \textit{N. Hingston} [Ann. Math. (2) 170, No. 2, 529--560 (2009; Zbl 1180.58009)], and even further generalizations to closed symplectically aspherical manifolds have been also proved by \textit{V. L. Ginzburg} and \textit{B. Z. Gürel} [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2012, No. 8, 1748--1767 (2012; Zbl 1242.53100)]. However, the second part of the proof by Hingston is difficult to follow. For this reason, in the paper under review, the author gives a simple and more transparent argument in the case of Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms of the torus. This argument is based on the use of generating functions.