\(C^0\)-gap between entropy-zero Hamiltonians and autonomous diffeomorphisms of surfaces (Q6165171)

This paper considers a long-standing conjecture by \textit{D. V. Anosov} and \textit {A. B. Katok} [Trudy Moskovskogo Matematiceskogo Obscestva 23, 3--36 (1970; Zbl 0218.58008)] that asks whether every entropy-zero Hamiltonian diffeomorphism of a surface lies in the \(C^0\)-closure of a set of integrable diffeomorphisms. Here the authors explore a slightly weaker conjecture: Every entropy-zero Hamiltonian diffeomorphism lies in the \(C^0\)-closure of the set of autonomous diffeomorphisms. The authors show that the latter conjecture is false. Instead they prove that on a surface \(\Sigma\) the set of autonomous Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms is not \(C^0\)-dense in the set of zero-entropy Hamiltonians. They construct an entropy-zero Hamiltonian diffeomorphism on \(\Sigma\) that is the composition of two autonomous Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms supported on an annulus, that is symplectically embedded in \(\Sigma\) and cannot be the \(C^0\)-limit of autonomous diffeomorphisms.