First, we prove a local spectral flow formula (Theorem 3.7) for a differentiable curve of selfadjoint Fredholm operators. This formula enables us to prove in a simple way a general spectral flow formula.
Secondly, we prove a splitting formula (Theorem 4.12) for the spectral flow of a curve of selfadjoint elliptic operators on a closed manifold, which we decompose into two parts with commom boundary. Then the formula says that the spectral flow is a sum of two spectral flows on each part of the separated manifold with naturally introduced elliptic boundary conditions. In the course of proving this formula, we investigate a property of the Maslov index for paths of Fredholm pairs of Lagrangian subspaces
We explain the topology of the space, so called, Fredholm-Lagrangian-Grassmannain and the quantity ``Maslov index'' for paths in this space based on the standard theory of Functional Analysis. Our standing point is to define the Maslov index for arbitrary paths in terms of the fundamental spectral property of the Fredholm operators, which was first recognized by J. Phillips and used to define the ``Spectral flow''. We tried to make the arguments to be all elementary and we summarize basic facts for this article from Functional Analysis in the Appendix.
In this article we consider a variant of Rabinowitz Floer homology in order to define a homological count of discriminant points for paths of contactomorphisms. The growth rate of this count can be seen as an analogue of Givental's nonlinear Maslov index. As an application we prove a Bott-Samelson type obstruction theorem for positive loops of contactomorphisms.
In this note it is shown that the Maslov Index for pairs of Lagrangian Paths as introduced by Cappell, Lee and Miller appears by parallel transporting elements of (a certain complex line-subbundle of) the symplectic spinorbundle over Euclidean space, when pulled back to an (embedded) Lagrangian submanifold $L$, along closed or non-closed paths therein. In especially, the CLM-Index mod 4 determines the holonomy group of this line bundle w.r.t. the Levi-Civita-connection on $L$, hence its vanishing mod 4 is equivalent to the existence of a trivializing parallel section. Moreover, it is shown tha…
We consider a curve of Fredholm pairs of Lagrangian subspaces in a fixed Banach space with continuously varying (weak) symplectic structures. Assuming vanishing index, we obtain intrinsically a continuously varying splitting of the total Banach space into pairs of symplectic subspaces. Using such decompositions we define the curve's Maslov index by symplectic reduction to the classical finite-dimensional case. We prove the transitivity of repeated symplectic reductions and obtain the invariance of the Maslov index under symplectic reduction, while recovering all the standard properties of the …
The aim of this paper is to give an explicit formula in order to compute the Maslov index of the fundamental solution of a linear autonomous Hamiltonian system, in terms of the Conley-Zehnder index and the time one flow.
We study focal points and Maslov index of a horizontal geodesic $γ:I\to M$ in the total space of a semi-Riemannian submersion $π:M\to B$ by determining an explicit relation with the corresponding objects along the projected geodesic $π\circγ:I\to B$ in the base space. We use this result to calculate the focal Maslov index of a (spacelike) geodesic in a stationary space-time which is orthogonal to a timelike Killing vector field.
We prove an estimate on the difference of Maslov indices relative to the choice of two distinct reference Lagrangians of a continuous path in the Lagrangian Grassmannian of a symplectic space. We discuss some applications to the study of conjugate and focal points along a geodesic in a semi-Riemannian manifold.
We provide an integral formula for the Maslov index of a pair $(E,F)$ over a surface $Σ$, where $E\rightarrowΣ$ is a complex vector bundle and $F\subset E_{|\partialΣ}$ is a totally real subbundle. As in Chern-Weil theory, this formula is written in terms of the curvature of $E$ plus a boundary contribution. When $(E,F)$ is obtained via an immersion of $(Σ,\partialΣ)$ into a pair $(M,L)$ where $M$ is Kähler and $L$ is totally real, the formula allows us to control the Maslov index in terms of the geometry of $(M,L)$. We exhibit natural conditions on $(M,L)$ which lead to bounds and monotonicit…
We investigate the problem of the stability of the number of conjugate or focal points (counted with multiplicity) along a semi-Riemannian geodesic $γ$. For a Riemannian or a non spacelike Lorentzian geodesic, such number is equal to the intersection number (Maslov index) of a continuous curve with a subvariety of codimension one of the Lagrangian Grassmannian of a symplectic space. Such intersection number is proven to be stable in a large variety of circumstances. In the general semi-Riemannian case, under suitable hypotheses this number is equal to an algebraic count of the multiplicities o…
We recall the Chernoff-Marsden definition of weak symplectic structure and give a rigorous treatment of the functional analysis and geometry of weak symplectic Banach spaces. We define the Maslov index of a continuous path of Fredholm pairs of Lagrangian subspaces in continuously varying Banach spaces. We derive basic properties of this Maslov index and emphasize the new features appearing.
We consider families of Dirac operators on the unit interval which depend on parameters via boundary conditions. We study the associated eta forms and Maslov cocyles. With this simple example we show how previous results of Lesch/Woiciechowski and the first author on the eta invariant of cylinders generalize to the family case.
We study the singularities of the exponential map in semi Riemannian locally symmetric manifolds. Conjugate points along geodesics depend only on real negative eigenvalues of the curvature tensor, and their contribution to the Maslov index of the geodesic is computed explicitly. We prove that degeneracy of conjugate points, which is a phenomenon that can only occur in semi-Riemannian geometry, is caused in the locally symmetric case by the lack of diagonalizability of the curvature tensor. The case of Lie groups endowed with a bi-invariant metric is studied in some detail, and conditions are g…
We give a functional analytical proof of the equality between the Maslov index of a semi-Riemannian geodesic and the spectral flow of the path of self-adjoint Fredholm operators obtained from the index form. This fact, together with recent results on the bifurcation for critical points of strongly indefinite functionals (see P. M. Fitzpatrick, J. Pejsachowicz, L. Recht, Spectral Flow and Bifurcation of Strongly Indefinite Functionals Part I. General Theory, J. Funct. Anal. 162 (1) (1999), 52-95.) imply that each non degenerate and non null conjugate (or $P$-focal) point along a semi-Riemannian…
We define an integer graded symplectic Floer cohomology and a spectral sequence which are new invariants for monotone Lagrangian sub-manifolds and exact isotopies. Such an integer graded Floer cohomology is an integral lifting of the usual Floer-Oh cohomology with $Z_{\Si (L)}$ grading. As one of applications of the spectral sequence, we offer an affirmative answer to an Audin's question for oriented, embedded, monotone Lagrangian tori, i.e. $\Si (L) = 2$.
We introduce a notion of vanishing Maslov index for lagrangian varifolds and lagrangian integral cycles in a Calabi-Yau manifold. We construct mass-decreasing flows of lagrangian varifolds and lagrangian cycles which satisfy this condition. The flow of cycles converges, at infinite time, to a sum of special lagrangian cycles (possibly with differing phases). We use the flow of cycles to obtain the fact that special lagrangian cycles generate the part of the lagrangian homology which lies in the image of the Hurewicz homomorphism. We also establish a weak version of a conjecture of Thomas-Yau r…
We use the notion of generalized signatures at a singularity of a smooth curve of symmetric bilinear forms to determine a formula for the computation of the Maslov index in the case of a real-analytic path having possibly non transversal intersections. We discuss some applications of the theory, with special emphasis on the study of the Jacobi equation along a semi-Riemannian geodesic. The research work exposed in this paper originated from a suggestion given by the third author relating the spectral flow with the partial signatures. He pointed out several references and formulated the stateme…
We derive a decomposition formula for the spectral flow of a 1-parameter family of self-adjoint Dirac operators on an odd-dimensional manifold $M$ split along a hypersurface $Σ$ ($M=X\cup_Σ Y$). No transversality or stretching hypotheses are assumed and the boundary conditions can be chosen arbitrarily. The formula takes the form $SF(D)= SF(D_{|X}, B_X) + SF(D_{|Y},B_Y) + μ(B_Y,B_X) + S$ where $B_X$ and $B_Y$ are boundary conditions, $μ$ denotes the Maslov index, and $S$ is a sum of explicitly defined Maslov indices coming from stretching and rotating boundary conditions. The derivation is a s…
Let $\mathcal{D}$ be a Hermitian symmetric space of tube type, and let $S$ be its Shilov boundary. We give a realization of the universal covering $\widetilde{S}$ of $S$. Then we describe on $\widetilde{S}$ a primitive for the generalized Maslov cocycle as defined in [{\it Transform. Groups} {\bf 6} (2001), 303-320] and [{\it J. Math. Pures Appl.} {\bf 83} (2004), 99-114]. It generalizes the Souriau index in the case of the Lagrangian manifold. A variation of this construction yields a generalization of the Arnold-Leray-Maslov index. This primitive is used to generalize the symplectic rotation…
Several proofs have been published of the Mod Z gluing formula for the eta-invariant of a Dirac operator. However, so far the integer contribution to the gluing formula for the eta-invariant is left obscure in the literature. In this article we present a gluing formula for the eta-invariant which expresses the integer contribution as a triple index involving the boundary conditions and the Calderon projectors of the two parts of the decomposition. The main ingredients of our presentation are the Scott-Wojciechowski theorem for the determinant of a Dirac operator on a manifold with boundary and…
We prove a semi-Riemannian version of the celebrated Morse Index Theorem for geodesics in semi-Riemannian manifolds; we consider the general case of both endpoints variable on two submanifolds. The key role of the theory is played by the notion of the {\em Maslov index} of a semi-Riemannian geodesic, which is a homological invariant and it substitutes the notion of geometric index in Riemannian geometry. Under generic circumstances, the Maslov index of a geodesic is computed as a sort of {\em algebraic count} of the conjugate points along the geodesic. For non positive definite metrics the ind…
We prove an extension of the Index Theorem for Morse-Sturm systems of the form $-V''+RV=0$, where R is symmetric with respect to a (non positive) symmetric bilinear form, and thus the corresponding differential operator is not self-adjoint. The result is then applied to the case of a Jacobi equation along a geodesic in a Lorentzian manifold, obtaining an extension of the Morse Index Theorem for Lorentzian geodesics with variable initial endpoints. Given a Lorentzian manifold (M,g), we consider a geodesic $γ$ in M starting orthogonally to a smooth submanifold P of M. Under suitable hypotheses, …
We consider a {\em Hamiltonian setup} $\sextuple$, where $(\mathcal M,ω)$ is a symplectic manifold, $\mathfrak L$ is a distribution of Lagrangian subspaces in $\mathcal M$, $\mathcal P$ a Lagrangian submanifold of $ \mathcal M$, $H$ is a smooth time dependent Hamiltonian function on $\mathcal M$ and $Γ:[a,b]\to\mathcal M$ is an integral curve of the Hamiltonian flow $\Hf$ starting at $\mathcal P$. We do not require any convexity property of the Hamiltonian function $H$. Under the assumption that $Γ(b)$ is not $\mathcal P$-focal it is introduced the Maslov index $\maslov(Γ)$ of $Γ$ given in ter…
In this paper we discuss a general framework based on symplectic geometry for the study of second order conditions in constrained variational problems on curves. Using the notion of L-derivatives we construct Jacobi curves, which represent a generalization of Jacobi fields from the classical calculus of variations, but which also works for non-smooth extremals. This construction includes in particular the previously known constructions for specific types of extremals. We state and prove Morse-type theorems that connect the negative inertia index of the Hessian of the problem to some symplectic…
We consider a continuous curve of self-adjoint Fredholm extensions of a curve of closed symmetric operators with fixed minimal domain $D_m$ and fixed {\it intermediate} domain $D_W$. Our main example is a family of symmetric generalized operators of Dirac type on a compact manifold with boundary with varying well-posed boundary conditions. Here $D_W$ is the first Sobolev space and $D_m$ the subspace of sections with support in the interior. We express the spectral flow of the operator curve by the Maslov index of a corresponding curve of Fredholm pairs of Lagrangian subspaces of the quotient H…
Perturbed geodesics are trajectories of particles moving on a semi-Riemannian manifold in the presence of a potential. Our purpose here is to extend to perturbed geodesics on semi-Riemannian manifolds the well known Morse Index Theorem. When the metric is indefinite, the Morse index of the energy functional becomes infinite and hence, in order to obtain a meaningful statement, we substitute the Morse index by its relative form, given by the spectral flow of an associated family of index forms. We also introduce a new counting for conjugate points, which need not to be isolated in this context,…
We prove a spectral flow formula for one-parameter families of Hamiltonian systems under homoclinic boundary conditions, which relates the spectral flow to the relative Maslov index of a pair of curves of Lagrangians induced by the stable and unstable subspaces, respectively. Finally, we deduce sufficient conditions for bifurcation of homoclinic trajectories of one-parameter families of nonautonomous Hamiltonian vector fields.
We review the concepts of the index of a Fredholm operator, the spectral flow of a curve of self-adjoint Fredholm operators, the Maslov index of a curve of Lagrangian subspaces in symplectic Hilbert space, and the eta invariant of operators of Dirac type on closed manifolds and manifolds with boundary. We emphasize various (occasionally overlooked) aspects of rigorous definitions and explain the quite different stability properties. Moreover, we utilize the heat equation approach in various settings and show how these topological and spectral invariants are mutually related in the study of add…
We consider a continuous path of bounded symmetric Fredholm bilinear forms with arbitrary endpoints on a real Hilbert space, and we prove a formula that gives the spectral flow of the path in terms of the spectral flow of the restriction to a finite codimensional closed subspace. We also discuss the case of restrictions to a continuous path of finite codimensional closed subspaces. As an application of the formula, we introduce the notion of spectral flow for a periodic semi-Riemannian geodesic, and we compute its value in terms of the Maslov index.
