Critical point theory for Lagrangian systems (Q547836)

The results of critical point theory provide powerful techniques to investigate and study aspects of Lagrangian systems such as existence, multiplicity or uniqueness of solutions of the Euler-Lagrange equations with prescribed boundary conditions. In this interesting monograph, the author considers closed configuration spaces \(M\) and studies the class of so-called Tonelli Lagrangians, i.e., smooth Lagrangian functions \(\mathcal{L}:\mathbb{R}\times TM\rightarrow \mathbb{R}\) which, when restricted to the fibers of \(TM\), have positive defined Hessian and superlinear growth. The book is organized into six chapters. Chapter 1 is a brief introduction to the Lagrangian and Hamiltonian formalism with focus on Tonelli systems and actions minimizers. Chapter 2, titled ``The Morse indices in Lagrangian dynamics'', introduces the notion of a Morse index and presents in detail Bott's iteration theory. In Chapter 3, in order to apply some abstract results of critical point theory, the Hilbert manifold of \(n\)-periodic curves with \(W^{1,2}\) regularity and the subclass of Tonelli Lagrangians with quadratic growth is used. \textit{V. Benci} [J. Differ. Equations 63, 135--161 (1986; Zbl 0605.58034)] has proved that within this functional setting, the action is \(C^{1,1}\) and it satisfies the Palais-Smale condition. Chapter 4 is devoted to the discretizations of the above described technique by introducing a finite-dimensional setting and proving a few multiplicity results for periodic orbits with prescribed periods. The author mentions that in the Hamiltonian formulation, an analogous approach based on generating functions was applied by \textit{M. Chaperon} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris, Sér. I 298, 293--296 (1984; Zbl 0576.58010)], \textit{F. Laudenbach} and \textit{J.-C. Sikorav} [Invent. Math. 82, 349--357 (1985; Zbl 0592.58023)], and \textit{J. Robbin} and \textit{D. Salamon} [Lond. Math. Soc. Lect. Note Ser. 192, 203--226 (1993; Zbl 0809.58007)]. In Chapter 5, the author uses his paper [Comment. Math. Helv. 86, No. 1, 189--246 (2011; Zbl 1209.37067)] to introduce the following abstract result: given a \(C^2\) function defined on an open set of a separable Hilbert space, the local homology of the function at an isolated critical point does not change if we restrict the function to a Hilbert subspace containing the critical point, provided the Morse index and the nullity of the critical point do not change under the restriction. The final chapter deals with the proof of multiplicity results for periodic orbits of Lagrangian systems \(\mathcal{L}:\mathbb{T}\times TM\rightarrow \mathbb{R}\) with global Euler-Lagrange flows and it contains five sections concerning the following aspects: convex quadratic modifications, multiplicity of periodic orbits with prescribed period, discrete Tonelli action, homological vanishing by iteration, the Conley conjecture. The book ends with a useful appendix titled ``An overview of Morse theory'' and contains basics about the generalized Morse lemma, deformations of sublevels, passing the critical levels, local homology and Gromoll-Meyers pairs, minimax, etc. A bibliography with 88 entries, a list of symbols distributed on each chapter, and a subject index complete the work. The book is self-contained and rigorously presented. Various aspects of it should be of interest to graduate students and researchers in this dynamic field of mathematics.