Free abelian covers, short loops, stable length, and systolic inequalities (Q2465226)

Let \(X^n\) be a compact, oriented, smooth, \(n\)-dimensional manifold with positive first Betti number \(b:=b_1(X^n)\), \(\overline{X}\) the maximal free abelian cover of \(X^n\), with group of deck transformations \(\mathbb{Z}^b\), and \(J_1(X^n):=H_1(X^n;\mathbb{R})/H_1(X^n;\mathbb{Z})_\mathbb{R}\) the \(b\)-dimensional Jacobi torus of \(X^n\), where \(H_1(X^n;\mathbb{Z})_\mathbb{R}\) denotes the free \(\mathbb{Z}\)-module obtained as the quotient of \(H_1(X^n;\mathbb{Z})\) by its torsion subgroup. The maximal free abelian cover of \(X^n\) admits a classifying map \(\varphi:X^n\to J_1(X^n)\). The covering \(\overline{X}\to X\) is the pull-back along \(f\) of the universal cover \(\mathbb{R}^b\to J_1(X)\), viewed as a principal \(\mathbb{Z}^b\)-bundle over the torus, and let \(\widetilde{\varphi}\) be the projection map \(\overline{X}\to \mathbb{R}^b\). While this map is only defined up to homotopy, a standard smooth representative is the Abel-Jacobi map \(f:X^n\to J_1(X^n)\), defined by fixing a Riemannian metric on \(X^n\). In this paper, written together with Mikhail Katz, the authors explore the geometry of the Abel-Jacobi map \(f:X^n\to J_1(X^n)\) in the case when \(X^n\) is aspherical and \(J_1(X^n)\) is endowed with the Finsler metric induced from the stable norm on \(H_1(X;\mathbb{R})\). More precisely, let \(\text{sys}\pi_1(g)\) be the homotopy systole, i.e., the length of a shortest non-contractible closed geodesic for a Riemannian metric \(g\) on \(X^n\), and \(\text{stsys}_1(g)\) the stable homology \(1\)-systole, i.e., the least norm of a nonzero element in the lattice \((H_1(X^n;\mathbb{Z})_\mathbb{R},\|\cdot\|)\), where the norm \(\|\cdot\|\) on \(H_1(X^n;\mathbb{Z})_\mathbb{R}\) -- defined via a Riemannian metric \(g\) on \(X^n\) -- is the restriction of the stable norm in \(H_1(X^n;\mathbb{R})\) with respect to the inclusion of coefficients [see \textit{H. Federer}, Indiana Univ. Math. J. 24, 351--407 (1974; Zbl 0289.49044)]. Let \(p\in J_1(X)\) be a regular value for \(f\) and pick a lift \(\widetilde{p}\in\mathbb{R}^b\). The inverse image \(\widetilde{f}^{-1}(\widetilde{p})\) is a closed, oriented submanifold of \(\overline{X}\). Suppose that \(X^n\) is aspherical and that the following topological assumption \((H)\) holds: \(\widetilde{f}^{-1}(\widetilde{p})\) represents a nontrivial homology class in \(H_{n-b}(\overline{X};\mathbb{Z})\). Under these assumptions, the authors prove that every Riemannian metric \(g\) on \(X^n\) satisfies \(\text{sys}\pi_1(g)^{n-b} \text{stsys}_1(g)^{b}\leq C(n) \text{vol}(X^n,g)\) for some constant \(C(n)\) depending only on \(n\). This inequality interpolates between shortest length invariants of non-contractible loops, on the one hand, and homologically non-trivial loops, on the other, and it can be thought of as a fiberwise refinement of \textit{M. Gromov}'s filling inequality (see Theorem 0.1.A in [J. Differ. Geom. 18, 1--147 (1983; Zbl 0515.53037)]). The proof is based on a theorem of \textit{M. Gromov} [Systoles and intersystolic inequalities. Actes de la table ronde de géométrie différentielle en l'honneur de Marcel Berger, Luminy, France, 12--18 juillet, 1992. Paris: Société Mathématique de France. Sémin. Congr. 1, 291--362 (1996; Zbl 0877.53002)], generalizing the main application of the filling inequality from another paper of \textit{M. Gromov} [J. Differ. Geom. 18, 1--147 (1983; Zbl 0515.53037)], applied to the class of manifolds satisfying hypothesis (H), on a coarea argument as well as on Minkowski's inequality. One shows that finite-dimensionality of \(H_*(\overline{X};\mathbb{Q})\) implies hypothesis (H). A weakening of the hypothesis of asphericity is discussed. An investigation of topological conditions guaranteeing the applicability of their main result, and examples illustrating the uses of their result are presented. Since this paper was submitted (July, 2002), some of the topics discussed here have been further developed by a number of authors, including \textit{V. Bangert, C. Croke, S. Ivanov} and \textit{M. Katz} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 359, No. 1, 1--17 (2007; Zbl 1122.53020)], \textit{V. Bangert} and \textit{M. Katz} [Commun. Anal. Geom. 12, 703--732 (2004; Zbl 1068.53027)], \textit{T. Cochran} and \textit{J. Masters} [Math. Proc. Camb. Philos. Soc. 141, No. 3, 465--476 (2006; Zbl 1111.57002)], \textit{C. Croke} and \textit{M. Katz} [Surveys in differential geometry. Lectures on geometry and topology held in honor of Calabi, Lawson, Siu, and Uhlenbeck at Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, USA, May 3--5, 2002. Somerville, MA: International Press. Surv. Differ. Geom. 8, 109--137 (2003; Zbl 1051.53026)], \textit{S. Ivanov} and \textit{M. Katz} [Isr. J. Math. 141, 221--233 (2004; Zbl 1067.53031)], \textit{M. Katz} [Systolic geometry and topology. Mathematical Surveys and Monographs 137. (Providence), RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS) (2007; Zbl 1149.53003)] and \textit{M. Katz} and \textit{C. Lescop} [Geometry, spectral theory, groups, and dynamics. Proceedings in memory of Robert Brooks, Haifa, Israel, December 29, 2003--January 2, 2004, January 5--9, 2004. Providence, RI: American Mathematical Society (AMS); Ramat Gan: Bar-Ilan University. Contemporary Mathematics 387. Israel Mathematical Conference Proceedings, 181--200 (2005; Zbl 1088.53029)].