Normal Forms for Symplectic Matrices

We give a self contained and elementary description of normal forms for symplectic matrices, based on geometrical considerations. The normal forms in question are expressed in terms of elementary Jordan matrices and integers with values in $\{-1,0,1\}$ related to signatures of quadratic forms naturally associated to the symplectic matrix.Comment: 27 pages updated version, propositions 12 and 17 added, uniqueness of normal form precise

The positive equivariant symplectic homology as an invariant for some contact manifolds

We show that positive $S^1$-equivariant symplectic homology is a contact invariant for a subclass of contact manifolds which are boundaries of Liouville domains. In nice cases, when the set of Conley-Zehnder indices of all good periodic Reeb orbits on the boundary of the Liouville domain is lacunary, the positive $S^1$-equivariant symplectic homology can be computed; it is generated by those orbits. We prove a "Viterbo functoriality" property: when one Liouville domain is embedded into an other one, there is a morphism (reversing arrows) between their positive $S^1$-equivariant symplectic homologies and morphisms compose nicely. These properties allow us to give a proof of Ustilovsky's result on the number of non isomorphic contact structures on the spheres $S^{4m+1}$. They also give a new proof of a Theorem by Ekeland and Lasry on the minimal number of periodic Reeb orbits on some hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{R}^{2n}$. We extend this result to some hypersurfaces in some negative line bundles.Comment: Correction in the computations of the action, no modifications of the result

Generalized Conley-Zehnder index

The Conley-Zehnder index associates an integer to any continuous path of symplectic matrices starting from the identity and ending at a matrix which does not admit 1 as an eigenvalue. We give new ways to compute this index. Robbin and Salamon define a generalization of the Conley-Zehnder index for any continuous path of symplectic matrices; this generalization is half integer valued. It is based on a Maslov-type index that they define for a continuous path of Lagrangians in a symplectic vector space $(W,\bar{\Omega})$, having chosen a given reference Lagrangian $V$. Paths of symplectic endomorphisms of $(\R^{2n},\Omega_0)$ are viewed as paths of Lagrangians defined by their graphs in $(W=\R^{2n}\oplus \R^{2n},\bar{\Omega}=\Omega_0\oplus -\Omega_0)$ and the reference Lagrangian is the diagonal. Robbin and Salamon give properties of this generalized Conley-Zehnder index and an explicit formula when the path has only regular crossings. We give here an axiomatic characterization of this generalized Conley-Zehnder index. We also give an explicit way to compute it for any continuous path of symplectic matrices.Comment: arXiv admin note: substantial text overlap with arXiv:1201.372

On the minimal number of periodic orbits on some hypersurfaces in R2n\mathbb{R}^{2n}

We study periodic orbits on a nondegenerate dynamically convex starshaped hypersurface in $\mathbb{R}^{2n}$ along the lines of Long and Zhu, but using properties of the $S^1$-equivariant symplectic homology. We prove that there exist at least $n$ distinct simple periodic orbits on any nondegenerate starshaped hypersurface in $\mathbb{R}^{2n}$ satisfying the condition that the minimal Conley-Zehnder index is at least $n-1$. The condition is weaker than dynamical convexity.Comment: To appear in Annales de l'Institut Fourie

Two closed orbits for non-degenerate Reeb flows

We prove that every non-degenerate Reeb flow on a closed contact manifold $M$ admitting a strong symplectic filling $W$ with vanishing first Chern class carries at least two geometrically distinct closed orbits provided that the positive equivariant symplectic homology of $W$ satisfies a mild condition. Under further assumptions, we establish the existence of two geometrically distinct closed orbits on any contact finite quotient of $M$. Several examples of such contact manifolds are provided, like displaceable ones, unit cosphere bundles, prequantization circle bundles, Brieskorn spheres and toric contact manifolds. We also show that this condition on the equivariant symplectic homology is preserved by boundary connected sums of Liouville domains. As a byproduct of one of our applications, we prove a sort of Lusternik-Fet theorem for Reeb flows on the unit cosphere bundle of not rationally aspherical manifolds satisfying suitable additional assumptions.Comment: Version 1: 33 pages. Version 2: minor corrections, to appear in Mathematical Proceedings of the Cambridge Philosophical Societ

Coarse distance from dynamically convex to convex

Chaidez and Edtmair have recently found the first example of dynamically convex domains in $\mathbb R^4$ that are not symplectomorphic to convex domains (called symplectically convex domains), answering a long-standing open question. In this paper, we discover new examples of such domains without referring to Chaidez-Edtmair's criterion. We also show that these domains are arbitrarily far from the set of symplectically convex domains in $\mathbb R^4$ with respect to the coarse symplectic Banach-Mazur distance by using an explicit numerical criterion for symplectic non-convexity.Comment: 18 pages, 7 figure