Polytopes and $C^0$-Riemannian metrics with positive $h_{\rm top}$
Abstract
We study Reeb dynamics on starshaped hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{R}^4$ arising as smoothings of starshaped polytopes. Using the $C^0$--stability of positive topological entropy for Reeb flows in dimension three from our joint work with Dahinden and Pirnapasov, we show that there exist starshaped polytopes $P$ such that for any starshaped smoothing of $\partial P$ the associated Reeb flows have positive topological entropy. This answers a question of Ostrover and Ginzburg. Similarly, we show that given a closed surface $M$ and a number $C>0$, there exist continuous and non-differentiable Riemannian metrics $g$ on $S$ with $h_{\rm top}>C$ in the sense that for any smoothing of $g$ the associated geodesic flows have $h_{\rm top}>C$.
Fields of Study & Subjects
Mathematical Dynamics and Fractals
Geometric and Algebraic Topology
Geometric Analysis and Curvature Flows
Publication details
- Journal / source
- arXiv (Cornell University)
- Publication date
- 9 February 2026
- Language
- EN
- Document type
- Preprint