Perestroikas of Shocks and Singularities of Minimum Functions

The shock discontinuities, generically present in inviscid solutions of the forced Burgers equation, and their bifurcations happening in the course of time (perestroikas) are classified in two and three dimensions -- the one-dimensional case is well known. This classification is a result of selecting among all the perestroikas occurring for minimum functions depending generically on time, the ones permitted by the convexity of the Hamiltonian of the Burgers dynamics. Topological restrictions on the admissible perestroikas of shocks are obtained. The resulting classification can be extended to the so-called viscosity solutions of a Hamilton--Jacobi equation, provided the Hamiltonian is convex.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures, 3 tables; my e-mail: [email protected]

Maslov class and minimality in Calabi-Yau manifolds

Generalizing the construction of the Maslov class for a Lagrangian embedding in a symplectic vector space, we prove that it is possible to give a consistent definition of this class for any Lagrangian submanifold of a Calabi-Yau manifold. Moreover, we prove that this class can be represented by the contraction of the Kaehler form associated to the Calabi-Yau metric, with the mean curvature vector field of the Lagrangian embedding. Finally, we suggest a possible generalization of the Maslov class for Lagrangian submanifolds of any symplectic manifold, via the mean curvature representation.Comment: 16 pages To be published in Journal of Geometry and Physic

Toward a general theory of linking invariants

Let N_1, N_2, M be smooth manifolds with dim N_1 + dim N_2 +1 = dim M$ and let phi_i, for i=1,2, be smooth mappings of N_i to M with Im phi_1 and Im phi_2 disjoint. The classical linking number lk(phi_1,phi_2) is defined only when phi_1*[N_1] = phi_2*[N_2] = 0 in H_*(M). The affine linking invariant alk is a generalization of lk to the case where phi_1*[N_1] or phi_2*[N_2] are not zero-homologous. In arXiv:math.GT/0207219 we constructed the first examples of affine linking invariants of nonzero-homologous spheres in the spherical tangent bundle of a manifold, and showed that alk is intimately related to the causality relation of wave fronts on manifolds. In this paper we develop the general theory. The invariant alk appears to be a universal Vassiliev-Goussarov invariant of order < 2. In the case where phi_1*[N_1] and phi_2*[N_2] are 0 in homology it is a splitting of the classical linking number into a collection of independent invariants. To construct alk we introduce a new pairing mu on the bordism groups of spaces of mappings of N_1 and N_2 into M, not necessarily under the restriction dim N_1 + dim N_2 +1 = dim M. For the zero-dimensional bordism groups, mu can be related to the Hatcher-Quinn invariant. In the case N_1=N_2=S^1, it is related to the Chas-Sullivan string homology super Lie bracket, and to the Goldman Lie bracket of free loops on surfaces.Comment: Published by Geometry and Topology at http://www.maths.warwick.ac.uk/gt/GTVol9/paper42.abs.htm

Lagrangian concordance of Legendrian knots

In this article we define Lagrangian concordance of Legendrian knots, the analogue of smooth concordance of knots in the Legendrian category. In particular we study the relation of Lagrangian concordance under Legendrian isotopy. The focus is primarily on the algebraic aspects of the problem. We study the behavior of the classical invariants under this relation, namely the Thurston-Bennequin number and the rotation number, and we provide some examples of non-trivial Legendrian knots bounding Lagrangian surfaces in $D^4$. Using these examples, we are able to provide a new proof of the local Thom conjecture.Comment: 18 pages, 4 figures. v2: Minor corrections and a proof of conjecture 6.4 of version 1 (now Theorem 6.4). v3: Several substantial changes notably the proof of theorems 1.2 and 5.1, this is the version accepted for publication in "Algebraic and Geometric Topology" published in January 201

The homology of the Milnor fiber for classical braid groups

In this paper we compute the homology of the braid groups, with coefficients in the module Z[q^+-1] given by the ring of Laurent polynomials with integer coefficients and where the action of the braid group is defined by mapping each generator of the standard presentation to multiplication by -q. The homology thus computed is isomorphic to the homology with constant coefficients of the Milnor fiber of the discriminantal singularity.Comment: This is the version published by Algebraic & Geometric Topology on 14 November 200

Cyclicity in families of circle maps

In this paper we will study families of circle maps of the form x↦x+2πr+af(x)(mod2π) and investigate how many periodic trajectories maps from this family can have for a ‘typical’ function f provided the parameter a is small

Geodesic flow, left-handedness, and templates

We establish that, for every hyperbolic orbifold of type (2, q, $\infty$) and for every orbifold of type (2, 3, 4g+2), the geodesic flow on the unit tangent bundle is left-handed. This implies that the link formed by every collection of periodic orbits (i) bounds a Birkhoff section for the geodesic flow, and (ii) is a fibered link. We also prove similar results for the torus with any flat metric. Besides, we observe that the natural extension of the conjecture to arbitrary hyperbolic surfaces (with non-trivial homology) is false.Comment: Version accepted for publication (Algebraic & Geometric Topology), 60 page

On Integrability of spinning particle motion in higher-dimensional black hole spacetimes

We study the motion of a classical spinning particle (with spin degrees of freedom described by a vector of Grassmann variables) in higher-dimensional general rotating black hole spacetimes with a cosmological constant. In all dimensions n we exhibit n bosonic functionally independent integrals of spinning particle motion, corresponding to explicit and hidden symmetries generated from the principal conformal Killing--Yano tensor. Moreover, we demonstrate that in 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-dimensional black hole spacetimes such integrals are in involution, proving the bosonic part of the motion integrable. We conjecture that the same conclusion remains valid in all higher dimensions. Our result generalizes the result of Page et. al. [hep-th/0611083] on complete integrability of geodesic motion in these spacetimes.Comment: Version 2: revised version, added references. 5 pages, no figure

On the viability of local criteria for chaos

We consider here a recently proposed geometrical criterion for local instability based on the geodesic deviation equation. Although such a criterion can be useful in some cases, we show here that, in general, it is neither necessary nor sufficient for the occurrence of chaos. To this purpose, we introduce a class of chaotic two-dimensional systems with Gaussian curvature everywhere positive and, hence, locally stable. We show explicitly that chaotic behavior arises from some trajectories that reach certain non convex parts of the boundary of the effective Riemannian manifold. Our result questions, once more, the viability of local, curvature-based criteria to predict chaotic behavior.Comment: 10 page

Multiplicative properties of Morin maps

In the first part of the paper we construct a ring structure on the rational cobordism classes of Morin maps (i. e. smooth generic maps of corank 1). We show that associating to a Morin map its singular strata defines a ring homomorphism to \Omega_* \otimes \Q, the rational oriented cobordism ring. This is proved by analyzing multiple-point sets of product immersion. Using these homomorphisms we are able to identify the ring of Morin maps. In the second part of the paper we compute the oriented Thom polynomial of the $\Sigma^2$ singularity type with \Q coefficients. Then we provide a product formula for the $\Sigma^2$ and the $\Sigma^{1,1}$ singularities.Comment: Corrected some small misprints and made lot of minor (mainly grammatical) alterations. 10 page