On a local systolic inequality for odd-symplectic forms

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to formulate a local systolic inequality for odd-symplectic forms (also known as Hamiltonian structures) and to establish it in some basic cases. Let $\Omega$ be an odd-symplectic form on an oriented closed manifold $\Sigma$ of odd dimension. We say that $\Omega$ is Zoll if the trajectories of the flow given by $\Omega$ are the orbits of a free $S^1$-action. After defining the volume of $\Omega$ and the action of its periodic orbits, we prove that the volume and the action satisfy a polynomial equation, provided $\Omega$ is Zoll. This builds the equality case of a conjectural systolic inequality for odd-symplectic forms close to a Zoll one. We prove the conjecture when the $S^1$-action yields a flat $S^1$-bundle or $\Omega$ is quasi-autonomous. In particular the conjecture is established in dimension three. This new inequality recovers the contact systolic inequality as well as the inequality between the minimal action and the Calabi invariant for Hamiltonian isotopies $C^1$-close to the identity on a closed symplectic manifold. Applications to the study of periodic magnetic geodesics on closed orientable surfaces is given in the companion paper available at arXiv:1902.01262.