We apply topological methods and a Lusternik-Schnirelmann-type approach to prove existence results for closed geodesics of Finsler metrics on spheres and projective spaces. The main tool in the proofs are spherical complexities, which have been introduced in earlier work of the author. Using them, we show how pinching conditions and inequalities between a Finsler metric and a globally symmetric metric yield the existence of multiple closed geodesics as well as upper bounds on their lengths.
We prove some rigidity results on geodesic orbit Finsler spaces with non-positive curvature. In particular, we show that a geodesic Finsler space with strictly negative flag curvature must be a non-compact Riemannian symmetric space of rank one.
We study singularities of geodesics flows in two-dimensional generalized Finsler spaces (pseudo-Finsler spaces). Geodesics are defined as extremals of a certain auxiliary functional whose non-isotropic extremals coincide with extremals of the action functional. This allows to consider isotropic lines as (unparametrized) geodesics.
In this paper, we study homogeneous geodesics in homogeneous Finsler spaces. We first give a simple criterion that characterizes geodesic vectors. We show that the geodesics on a Lie group, relative to a bi-invariant Finsler metric, are the cosets of the one-parameter subgroups. The existence of infinitely many homogeneous geodesics on compact semi-simple Lie group is established. We introduce the notion of naturally reductive homogeneous Finsler space. As a special case, we study homogeneous geodesics in homogeneous Randers spaces. Finally, we study some curvature properties of homogeneous ge…
In this paper, we study geodesics and geodesic vectors for homogeneous exponential Finsler space and homogeneous infinite series Finsler space. Further, we find necessary and sufficient condition for a non-zero vector in these homogeneous spaces to be a geodesic vector.
In this paper, we study the set of homogeneous geodesics of a leftinvariant Finsler metric on Lie groups. We first give a simple criterion that characterizes geodesic vectors. As an application, we study some geometric properties of bi-invariant Finsler metrics on Lie groups. In particular a necessary and sufficient condition that left-invariant Randers metrics are of Berwald type is given. Finally a correspondence of homogeneous geodesics to critical points of restricted Finsler metrics is given. Then results concerning the existence homogeneous geodesics are obtained.
We show the existence of at least two geometrically distinct closed geodesics on an n-dimensional sphere with a bumpy and non-reversible Finsler metric for n>2.
We construct all Finsler metrics on the two-sphere for which geodesics are circles and show that any (reversible) path geometry on a two-dimensional manifold is locally the system of geodesics of a Finsler metric.
In every conformal class of Finsler (or Riemannian) metrics on a closed manifold there exists a residual subset of Finsler metrics, such that, with respect to the residual Finsler metrics, in any non-trivial homotopy class of free loops there is precisely one shortest geodesic loop.
In this paper, we generalize the classification of geodesic orbit spheres from Riemannian geometry to Finsler geometry. Then we further prove if a geodesic orbit Finsler sphere has constant flag curvature, it must be Randers. It provides an alternative proof for the classification of invariant Finsler metrics with $K\equiv1$ on homogeneous spheres other than $Sp(n)/Sp(n-1)$.
We prove that for every $\Q$-homological Finsler 3-sphere $(M,F)$ with a bumpy and irreversible metric $F$, either there exist two non-hyperbolic prime closed geodesics, or there exist at least three prime closed geodesics.
For non-reversible Finsler metrics of positive flag curvature on spheres and projective spaces we present results about the number and the length of closed geodesics and about their stability properties.
In this paper, we study the existence and multiplicity problems for orthogonal Finsler geodesic chords in a manifold with boundary which is homeomorphic to a N-dimensional disk. Under a suitable assumption, which is weaker than convexity, we prove that, if the Finsler metric is reversible, then there are at least N orthogonal Finsler geodesic chords that are geometrically distinct. If the reversibility assumption does not hold, then there are at least two orthogonal Finsler geodesic chords with different values of the energy functional.
In this paper we prove that for every bumpy Finsler metric $F$ on every rationally homological $n$-dimensional sphere $S^n$ with $n\ge 2$, there exist always at least two distinct prime closed geodesics.
In this paper, we consider a Finsler space with a Randers change of Quartic metric F = $\sqrt[4]{α^4 + β^4} + β$. The conditions for this space to be with reversible geodesics are obtained. Further, we study some geometrical properties of F with reversible geodesics and prove that the Finsler metric F induces a generalized weighted quasi-distance $d_F$ on M.
A Finsler space is said to be geodesically reversible if each oriented geodesic can be reparametrized as a geodesic with the reverse orientation. A reversible Finsler space is geodesically reversible, but the converse need not be true. In this note, building on recent work of LeBrun and Mason, it is shown that a geodesically reversible Finsler metric of constant flag curvature on the 2-sphere is necessarily projectively flat. As a corollary, using a previous result of the author, it is shown that a reversible Finsler metric of constant flag curvature on the 2-sphere is necessarily a Riemannian…
If all prime closed geodesics on $(S^n,F)$ with an irreversible Finsler metric $F$ are irrationally elliptic, there exist either exactly $2\left[\frac{n+1}{2}\right]$ or infinitely many distinct closed geodesics. As an application, we show the existence of three distinct closed geodesics on bumpy Finsler $(S^3,F)$ if any prime closed geodesic has non-zero Morse index.
We consider Heisenberg groups equipped with a sub-Finsler metric. Using methods of optimal control theory we prove that in this geometric setting the infinite geodesics are horizontal lines under the assumption that the sub-Finsler metric is defined by a strictly convex norm. This answers a question posed in [5] and has applications in the characterisation of isometric embeddings into Heisenberg groups.
In a recent paper, it was claimed that any homogeneous Finsler space of odd dimension admits a homogeneous geodesic through any point. For the proof, the algebraic method dealing with the reductive decomposition of the Lie algebra of the isometry group was used. However, the proof contains a serious gap. In the present paper, homogeneous geodesics in Finsler homogeneous spaces are studied using the affine method, which was developed in earlier papers by the author. The mentioned statement is proved correctly and it is further proved that any homogeneous Berwald space or homogeneous reversible …
We show that the index of a lightlike geodesic in a conformally standard stationary spacetime is equal to the index of its spatial projection as a geodesic of a Finsler metric associated to the spacetime. Moreover we obtain the Morse relations of lightlike geodesics connecting a point to an integral line of the standard timelike Killing vector field by using Morse theory on the associated Finsler manifold. To this end, we prove a splitting lemma for the energy functional of a Finsler metric. Finally, we show that the reduction to Morse theory of a Finsler manifold can be done also for timelike…
In this paper, we prove that on every Finsler $n$-sphere $(S^n, F)$ for $n\ge 6$ with reversibility $λ$ and flag curvature $K$ satisfying $(\fracλ{λ+1})^2<K\le 1$, either there exist infinitely many prime closed geodesics or there exist $[\frac{n}{2}]-2$ closed geodesics possessing irrational average indices. If in addition the metric is bumpy, then there exist $n-3$ closed geodesics possessing irrational average indices provided the number of closed geodesics is finite.
We use a theorem of P. Berger and D. Turaev to construct an example of a Finsler geodesic flow on the 2-torus with a transverse section, such that its Poincaré return map has positive metric entropy. The Finsler metric generating the flow can be chosen to be arbitrarily $C^\infty$-close to a flat metric.
We show that the geodesic ray transform is injective on scalar functions on spherically symmetric reversible Finsler manifolds where the Finsler norm satisfies a Herglotz condition. We use angular Fourier series to reduce the injectivity problem to the invertibility of generalized Abel transforms and by Taylor expansions of geodesics we show that these Abel transforms are injective. Our result has applications in linearized boundary rigidity problem on Finsler manifolds and especially in linearized elastic travel time tomography.
We prove that a reversible Berwaldian Finsler structure $\left(M,F\right)$ with base-independent non-negative radial flag curvature and large volume growth does not have any closed geodesics.
We study non-reversible Finsler metrics with constant flag curvature 1 on S^2 and show that the geodesic flow of every such metric is conjugate to that of one of Katok's examples, which form a 1-parameter family. In particular, the length of the shortest closed geodesic is a complete invariant of the geodesic flow. We also show, in any dimension, that the geodesic flow of a Finsler metrics with constant positive flag curvature is completely integrable. Finally, we give an example of a Finsler metric on~$S^2$ with positive flag curvature such that no two closed geodesics intersect and show that…
A Finsler space $(M,F)$ is called a geodesic orbit space if any geodesic of constant speed is the orbit of a one-parameter subgroup of isometries of $(M, F)$. In this paper, we study Finsler metrics on Euclidean spaces which are geodesic orbit metrics. We will show that, in this case $(M, F)$ is a fiber bundle over a symmetric Finsler space $M_1$ of non-compact type such that each fiber $M_2$ is a totally geodesic nilmanifold with a step-size at most 2, and the projection $π:M\rightarrow M_1$ is a Finslerian submersion. Furthermore, when $M_1$ has no Hermitian symmetric factors, the fiber bund…
For compact manifolds with infinite fundamental group we present sufficient topological or metric conditions ensuring the existence of two geometrically distinct closed geodesics. We also show how results about generic Riemannian metrics can be carried over to Finsler metrics.
In this paper, we prove that lightlike geodesics of a pseudo-Finsler manifold and its focal points are preserved up to reparametrization by anisotropic conformal changes, using the Chern connection and the anisotropic calculus and the fact that geodesics are critical points of the energy functional and Jacobi fields, the kernel of its index form. This result has applications to the study of Finsler spacetimes.
In this paper, we prove that on every Finsler $n$-sphere $(S^n, F)$ with reversibility $λ$ satisfying $F^2<(\frac{λ+1}λ)^2g_0$ and $l(S^n, F)\ge π(1+\frac{1}λ)$, there always exist at least $n$ prime closed geodesics without self-intersections, where $g_0$ is the standard Riemannian metric on $S^n$ with constant curvature 1 and $l(S^n, F)$ is the length of a shortest geodesic loop on $(S^n, F)$. We also study the stability of these closed geodesics.
In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler $n$-sphere $(S^n, F)$ for $n\ge 3$ with reversibility $λ$ and flag curvature $K$ satisfying $(\fracλ{λ+1})^2<K\le 1$, either there exist infinitely many prime closed geodesics or there exists one elliptic closed geodesic whose linearized Poincaré map has at least one eigenvalue which is of the form $\exp(πi μ)$ with an irrational $μ$. Furthermore, there always exist three prime closed geodesics on any $(S^3, F)$ satisfying the above pinching condition.
A Finsler metric is geodesically reversible if geodesics remain geodesics after a change of orientation. Asymmetric norms on vector spaces and Funk metrics in the interior of convex bodies are examples of geodesically reversible metrics that are not necessarily sums of reversible metrics and closed 1-forms. However, there seem to be few such examples in closed manifolds. In this paper the theory of volumes and areas on Finsler spaces is applied to establish a number of rigidity theorems which partially explain this paucity of examples. These rigidity results settle some hitherto unsolved cases…
When a closed Finsler manifold admits continuous isometric actions, estimating the number of orbits of prime closed geodesics seems a more reasonable substitution for estimating the number of prime closed geodesics. To generalize the works of H. Duan, Y. Long, H.B. Rademacher, W. Wang and others on the existence of two prime closed geodesics to the equivariant situation, we purpose the question if a closed Finsler manifold has only one orbit of prime closed geodesic if and only if it is a compact rank-one Riemannian symmetric space. In this paper, we study this problem in homogeneous Finsler g…
On the ground of origins of the theory of Lie groups and Lie algebras, their (co)adjoint representations, and the Pontryagin maximum principle for the time-optimal problem are given an independent foundation for methods of geodesic vector field to search for normal geodesics of left-invariant (sub-)Finsler metrics on Lie groups and to look for the corresponding locally optimal controls in (sub-)Riemannian case, as well as some their applications.
In this note, we prove that given a submanifold $P$ in a Finsler manifold $(M,F)$, (i) the orthogonal geodesics to $P$ minimize the distance from $P$ at least in some interval, (ii) there exist tubular neighbourhoods around each point of $P$, (iii) the distance from $P$ is smooth in some open neighbourhood of $P$ (but not necessarily in $P$).
In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler $n$-dimensional sphere $(S^{n},F)$ with reversibility $\lm$ and flag curvature $K$ satisfying $\left(\frac{\lm}{1+\lm}\right)^2<K\le 1$, either there exist infinitely many closed geodesics, or there exist at least two elliptic closed geodesics and each linearized Poincaré map has at least one eigenvalue of the form $e^{\sqrt{-1}þ}$ with $þ$ being an irrational multiple of $π$.
In this paper, we prove that on every Finsler manifold $(M,\,F)$ with reversibility $λ$ and flag curvature $K$ satisfying $\left(\fracλ{λ+1}\right)^2<K\le 1$, there exist $[\frac{\dim M+1}{2}]$ closed geodesics. If the number of closed geodesics is finite, then there exist $[\frac{\dim M}{2}]$ non-hyperbolic closed geodesics. Moreover, there are 3 closed geodesics on $(M,\,F)$ satisfying the above pinching condition when $\dim M=3$.
In this paper, we discuss how to travel along horizontal broken geodesics of a homogenous Finsler submersion, i.e., we study, what in Riemannian geometry was called by Wilking, the dual leaves. More precisely, we investigate the attainable sets $\mathcal{A}_{q}(\mathcal{C})$ of the set of analytic vector fields $\mathcal{C}$ determined by the family of horizontal unit geodesic vector fields $\mathcal{C}$ to the fibers $\mathcal{F}=\{ρ^{-1}(c)\}$ of a homogenous analytic Finsler submersion $ρ: M\to B$. Since reverse of geodesics don't need to be geodesics in Finsler geometry, one can have examp…
Biharmonic curves are a generalization of geodesics, with applications in elasticity theory and various branches of computer science. The paper proposes a first study of biharmonic curves in spaces with Finslerian geometry, covering the following topics: a deduction of their equations, existence of non-geodesic biharmonic curves for some classes of Finsler spaces and specific properties. We prove, for instance, that geodesic curvature is constant along Finslerian biharmonic curves. Integration of the biharmonic equation is presented for two concrete Finsler metrics.
In this work we show that for the geodesic spray $S$ of a Finsler function $F$ the most natural projective deformation $\widetilde{S}=S -2 λF\mathbb C$ leads to a non-Finsler metrizable spray, for almost every value of $λ\in \mathbb R$. This result shows how rigid is the metrizablility property with respect to certain reparameterizations of the geodesics. As a consequence we obtain that the projective class of an arbitrary spray contains infinitely many sprays that are not Finsler metrizable.
In this paper, we establish first the resonance identity for non-contractible homologically visible prime closed geodesics on Finsler $n$-dimensional real projective space $(\mathbb{R}P^n,F)$ when there exist only finitely many distinct non-contractible closed geodesics on $(\mathbb{R}P^n,F)$, where the integer $n\geq2$. Then as an application of this resonance identity, we prove the existence of at least two distinct non-contractible closed geodesics on $\mathbb{R}P^{n}$ with a bumpy and irreversible Finsler metric. Together with two previous results on bumpy and reversible Finsler metrics in…
We prove the shifting theorems of the critical groups of critical points and critical orbits for the energy functionals of Finsler metrics on Hilbert manifolds of $H^1$-curves, and two splitting lemmas for the functionals on Banach manifolds of $C^1$-curves. Two results on critical groups of iterated closed geodesics are also proved; their corresponding versions on Riemannian manifolds are based on the usual splitting lemma by Gromoll and Meyer (1969). Our approach consists in deforming the square of the Finsler metric in a Lagrangian which is smooth also on the zero section and then in using …
We determine all Finsler metrics of Randers type for which the Riemannian part is a scalar multiple of the Euclidean metric, on an open subset of the Euclidean plane, whose geodesics are circles. We show that the Riemannian part must be of constant Gaussian curvature, and that for every such Riemannian metric there is a class of Randers metrics satisfying the condition, determined up to the addition of a total derivative, depending on a single parameter. As one of several applications we exhibit a Finsler metric whose geodesics are the oriented horocycles in the Poincare disk, in each of the t…
We make use of a symmetry reduction technique called Routh reduction to show that the solutions of the Euler-Lagrange equations of a strongly convex autonomous Lagrangian which lie on a specific energy level can be thought of as geodesics of an associated Finsler function.
Let $M$ be a compact simply connected manifold satisfying $H^*(M;\mathbf{Q})\cong T_{d,n+1}(x)$ for integers $d\ge 2$ and $n\ge 1$. If all prime closed geodesics on $(M,F)$ with an irreversible bumpy Finsler metric $F$ are elliptic, either there exist exactly $\frac{dn(n+1)}{2}$ (when $d\ge 2$ is even) or $(d+1)$ (when $d\ge 3$ is odd) distinct closed geodesics, or there exist infinitely many distinct closed geodesics.
We show that geodesic random walks on a complete Finsler manifold of bounded geometry converge to a diffusion process which is, up to a drift, the Brownian motion corresponding to a Riemannian metric.
Two geodesically (projectively) equivalent Finsler metrics determine a set of invariant volume forms on the projective sphere bundle. Their proportionality factors are geodesically invariant functions and hence they are first integrals. Being 0-homogeneous functions, the first integrals are common for the entire projective class. In Theorem 1.1 we provide a practical and easy way of computing these first integrals as the coefficients of a characteristic polynomial.
In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler $n$-dimensional sphere $(S^n,F), n\ge 3$ with reversibility $λ$ and flag curvature $K$ satisfying $\left(\fracλ{1+λ}\right)^2<K\le 1$, there exist at least three distinct closed geodesics and at least two of them are elliptic if the number of prime closed geodesics is finite. When $n\ge 6$, these three distinct closed geodesics are non-hyperbolic.
We prove that a homogeneous Finsler sphere with constant flag curvature $K\equiv1$ and a prime closed geodesic of length $2π$ must be Riemannian. This observation provides the evidence for the non-existence of homogeneous Bryant spheres. It also helps us propose an alternative approach proving that a geodesic orbit Finsler sphere with $K\equiv1$ must be Randers. Then we discuss the behavior of geodesics on a homogeneous Finsler sphere with $K\equiv1$. We prove that many geodesic properties for homogeneous Randers spheres with $K\equiv1$ can be generalized to the non-Randers case.
In this paper we study the Finsler sphere $(S^n,F)$ with $n>1$, which has constant flag curvature $K\equiv 1$ and only finite prime closed geodesics. In this case, the connected isometry group $I_0(S^n,F)$ must be a torus which dimension satisfies $0<\dim I(S^n,F) \leq[\frac{n+1}{2}]$. We will prove that the number of geometrically distinct reversible closed geodesics on $(S^n,F)$ is at least $\dim I(S^n,F)$. When $\dim I_0(S^n,F)=[\frac{n+1}{2}]$, the equality happens, and there are exactly $2[\frac{n+1}{2}]$ prime closed geodesics, which verifies Anosov conjecture in this special case.
It's well known that the n-sphere $S^n$ is the universal double covering of the $n$-dimensional real projective space $\mathbb{R}P^n$ and then any Finsler metric on $\mathbb{R}P^n$ induces a Finsler metric of $S^n$. In this paper, we prove that for every Finsler $(S^n, F)$ for $n\geq3$ whose metric is induced by irreversible Finsler $(\mathbb{R}P^n,F)$ with reversibility $λ$ and flag curvature $K$ satisfying $(\fracλ{λ+1})^2<K\leq 1$, there exist at least $n-1$ prime closed geodesics on $(S^n, F)$. Furthermore, if there exist finitely many distinct closed geodesics on $(S^n, F)$, then there ex…
We show that the infinite-dimensional space of Zoll Finsler metrics on the projective plane strongly deformation retracts to the canonical round metric. In particular, this space of Zoll Finsler metrics is connected. Moreover, the strong deformation retraction arises from a deformation of the geodesic flow of every Zoll Finsler projective plane to the geodesic flow of the round metric through a family of smooth free circle actions induced by the curvature flow of the canonical round projective plane. This construction provides a description of the geodesics of the Zoll Finsler metrics along th…
