Action minimizing properties and distances on the group of Hamiltonian diffeomorphisms

Abstract

In this article we prove that for a smooth fiberwise convex Hamiltonian, the asymptotic Hofer distance from the identity gives a strict upper bound to the value at 0 of Mather's $\beta$ function, thus providing a negative answer to a question asked by K. Siburg in \cite{Siburg1998}. However, we show that equality holds if one considers the asymptotic distance defined in \cite{Viterbo1992}.