Fanning curves of Lagrangian manifolds and geodesic flows (Q915237)

Curves \(\alpha\) (s), \(s\in (-t,t)\) of Lagrangian submanifolds of a symplectic manifold (M,\(\omega\)) passing through a fixed point \(\bar p\) are considered and their properties near \(\bar p\) are studied. When a nondegeneracy condition is satisfied, the curve is called fanning, and in this case the curve is parametrized by a time-dependent function on \(\alpha\) (0) whose Taylor series coefficients in t are symplectic invariants of the curve. An example of such a curve is obtained in the cotangent bundle of a Riemannian manifold from the geodesic flow. Using this curve the author proves that the curvature tensor is a symplectic invariant of the geodesic flow. A second example is obtained from the billiard ball map on a compact, strictly convex domain in \({\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}\). The study of symplectic invariants of this curve is of interest in the inverse obstacle scattering problem [\textit{R. B. Melrose} and \textit{M. E. Taylor}, Adv. Math. 55, 242-315 (1985; Zbl 0591.58034)] and in the inverse spectral problem [\textit{Sh. Marvizi} and \textit{R. Melrose}, J. Differ. Geom. 17, 475-502 (1982; Zbl 0492.53033)]. Using these invariants the author proves that up to a motion on \({\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}\), strictly convex hypersurfaces of \({\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}\) can be locally distinguished by their symplectic invariants.