Conditional Proof of the Boltzmann-Sinai Ergodic Hypothesis

The Boltzmann-Sinai Ergodic Hypothesis in Two Dimensions (Without Exceptional Models)

We consider the system of $N$ ($\ge2$) elastically colliding hard balls of masses $m_1,...,m_N$ and radius $r$ in the flat unit torus $\Bbb T^ν$, $ν\ge2$. In the case $ν=2$ we prove (the full hyperbolicity and) the ergodicity of such systems for every selection $(m_1,...,m_N;r)$ of the external geometric parameters, without exceptional values. In higher dimensions, for hard ball systems in $\Bbb T^ν$ ($ν\ge3$), we prove that every such system (is fully hyperbolic and) has open ergodic components.

Flow-invariant hypersurfaces in semi-dispersing billiards

This work results from our attempts to solve Boltzmann-Sinai's hypothesis about the ergodicity of hard ball gases. A crucial element in the studies of the dynamics of hard balls is the analysis of special hypersurfaces in the phase space consisting of degenerate trajectories (which lack complete hyperbolicity). We prove that if a flow-invariant hypersurface $J$ in the phase space of a semi-dispersing billiard has a negative Lyapunov function, then the volume of the forward image of $J$ grows at least linearly in time. Our proof is independent of the solution of the Boltzmann-Sinai hypothesis, …

Boltzmann 的台球系统：台球映射的计算与若干数值结果

Boltzmann's Billiard Systems: Computation of the Billiard Mapping and Some Numerical Results

本文针对 Boltzmann 提出的台球系统，通过几何与数值分析研究其动力学，发现多数系统呈现混沌，其中一个系统可能遍历，从而检验其遍历性断言。

Upgrading the Local Ergodic Theorem for planar semi-dispersing billiards

The Local Ergodic Theorem (also known as the `Fundamental Theorem') gives sufficient conditions under which a phase point has an open neighborhood that belongs (mod 0) to one ergodic component. This theorem is a key ingredient of many proofs of ergodicity for billiards and, more generally, for smooth hyperbolic maps with singularities. However the proof of that theorem relies upon a delicate assumption (Chernov-Sinai Ansatz), which is difficult to check for some physically relevant models, including gases of hard balls. Here we give a proof of the Local Ergodic Theorem for two dimensional bill…

Singularities and nonhyperbolic manifolds do not coincide

We consider the billiard flow of elastically colliding hard balls on the flat $ν$-torus ($ν\ge 2$), and prove that no singularity manifold can even locally coincide with a manifold describing future non-hyperbolicity of the trajectories. As a corollary, we obtain the ergodicity (actually the Bernoulli mixing property) of all such systems, i.e. the verification of the Boltzmann-Sinai Ergodic Hypothesis.

Ergodic Theory, Geometric Measure Theory, Conformal Measures and the Dynamics of Elliptic Functions

The ultimate goal of our book is to present a unified approach to the dynamics, ergodic theory, and geometry of elliptic functions from $\C$ to $\oc$. We consider elliptic functions as a most regular class of transcendental meromorphic functions. Poles form an essential feature of such functions but the set of critical values is finite and an elliptic function is "the same" on its of its fundamental regions. In a sense this is the class of transcendental meromorphic functions which resembles rational functions most. On the other hand, the differences are huge. We will touch on them in the cour…

Extremes and extremal indices for level set observables on hyperbolic systems

Consider an ergodic measure preserving dynamical system $(T,X,μ)$, and an observable $ϕ:X\to\mathbb{R}$. For the time series $X_n(x)=ϕ(T^{n}(x))$, we establish limit laws for the maximum process $M_n=\max_{k\leq n}X_k$ in the case where $ϕ$ is an observable maximized on a curve or submanifold, and $(T,X,μ)$ is a hyperbolic dynamical system. Such observables arise naturally in weather and climate applications. We consider the extreme value laws and extremal indices for these observables on Anosov diffeomorphisms, Sinai dispersing billiards and coupled expanding maps. In particular we obtain clu…