No label defined (Q4533072)

Let \(V\) be a compact Riemannian manifold with unit tangent bundle \(SV\) and geodesic flow \(\{\varphi_t\}\), and let \(V\) have negative sectional curvature. Let \({\mathfrak M}_1(SV)\) denote the space of probability measures on \(SV\). For each measure \(\mu\) in \({\mathfrak M}_1(SV)\) one has an asymptotic cycle \([\mu]\in H_1(V,\mathbb{R})\) defined by \(\langle[\omega], [\mu]\rangle= \int_{SV}\omega(v)\,d\mu(v)\) where \([\omega]\in H^1(V,\mathbb{R})\) is the cohomology class determined by a closed 1-form \(\omega\). Let \(C\) denote the compact, convex subset of \(H_1(V,\mathbb{R})\) given by \(\{[\mu]: \mu\in{\mathfrak M}_1(SV)\}\). For each \(\gamma\in\Gamma\), the set of closed geodesics of \(V\), one defines the ``rotation number'' \([m_\gamma]\in H_1(V,\mathbb{R})\), where \(m_\gamma\) denotes the probability measure in \(SV\)-associated to \(\gamma\). If \(\ell(\gamma)\) is the length of \(\gamma\) and \([\gamma]\in H_1(V,\mathbb{Z})\) is the homology class determined by \(\gamma\), then \([\gamma]/\ell(\gamma)= [m_\gamma]\). The author considers the following problem: Fix an element \(\xi\in C\) and study the closed geodesics \(\gamma\) whose rotation number is close to \(\xi\). For every \(\xi\in C\) and \(\alpha\in H_1(V,\mathbb{R})\) one defines a growth function \(\pi(\xi,\alpha, T)= \#\{\gamma\in \Gamma: T-1\leq \ell(\gamma)\leq T, [\gamma]= [T\xi]+ \alpha\}\). The case that \(\xi\in \text{Int}(C)\) has been studied by Lalley and Babillot-Ledrappier, who showed that \(\pi(\xi,\alpha, T)\) grows exponentially with a growth exponent that is an explicit function of \(H(\xi)= \sup\{h_\varphi(\mu): [\mu]= \xi\}\). Here, \(H_\varphi(\mu)\) denotes the \(\mu\)-metric entropy of the geodesic flow \(\{\varphi_t\}\). (The author has improved this result in the case that \(\dim V =2\).) Moreover, if \([\mu]\in C\) is close to \(\xi\), then the closed geodesics belonging to \([\mu]\) are dense in \(SV\). The primary focus of the author is when \(\xi\in\partial C\). Here, each face of the boundary of \(C\) may be described as \(F_\omega= \{\xi\in C>\langle[\omega], [\xi]\rangle= 1\}\) for a suitably normalized closed 1-form \(\omega\). Each face \(F_\omega\) determines two compact \(\{\varphi_t\}\)-invariant subsets \(M_\omega\) and \(A_\omega\) of \(SV\) due to Mather and Aubry, respectively. Now, assume henceforth that \(\dim V= 2\). Work of Fathi shows that \(A_\omega\) is the union of \(M_\omega\) and a finite number of \(\{\varphi_t\}\) orbits that spiral toward the components of \(M_\omega\). The author shows that if \(\xi\in F\subseteq \partial C\), then \(\pi(\xi,\alpha, T)\) grows at most polynomially in \(T\) if \(M_\omega\) contains only periodic orbits. For closed geodesics \(\gamma\) such that \([m_\gamma]\) lies close to the face \(F_\omega\), the author also considers the growth function \(\pi(\omega, A,T)= \#\{\gamma\in \Gamma:\ell(\gamma)\leq T,\langle[\omega], [\gamma]\rangle\geq T-A\}\). The results are as follows: a) If \(A_\omega= M_\omega\) and \(M_\omega\) contains only periodic orbits, then \(\pi(\omega,A,T)\) grows at most polynomially in \(T\) for all \(A> 0\). b) If \(A_\omega\neq M_\omega\), then for all \(A> 0\) there exists a sequence \(\{T_n\}\to\infty\) such that \(\pi(\omega,A,T_n)\) grows faster than any polynomial in \(T_n\). c) If \(M_\omega\) contains a nonperiodic minimal set, then for each \(\varepsilon\in (0,1)\) and each neighborhood \(W\) of \(M_\omega\) the growth function \(T\to\#\{\gamma\in W:\ell(\gamma)\leq T,\langle[\omega], [\gamma]\rangle\geq (1-\varepsilon)T\}\) is exponential. For the entire collection see [Zbl 0981.00005].