Geometry of the Minimal Level Set of the Effective Hamiltonian in Two Dimensions

Abstract

In this paper, we characterize the geometric structure of the boundary of the minimal level set $F_0$ of the effective Hamiltonian $\overline{H}$ associated with the mechanical Hamiltonian \[ H(p,x)=\frac12|p|^2+V(x) \] in dimension $n=2$, where $V$ on $\mathbb{T}^2=\mathbb{R}^2/\mathbb{Z}^2$ has a unique maximum and Hessian at this maximizer has two distinct negative eigenvalues. For $n=2$, the geometry of the level sets of $\overline{H}$ strictly above the minimum has been largely understood since the 1990s, mainly through the equivalent formulation in terms of stable norms; we fill the remaining gap at the minimal level by providing an explicit, verifiable characterization of $\partial F_0$. In particular, we show that $p \in \partial F_0$ does not lie on any flat edge if and only if $\partial F_0$ is differentiable at $p$ and its outer normal direction is irrational, except possibly at one exceptional pair of points $\pm p_0$. Consequently, flat edges are dense along $\partial F_0$. We also construct an example demonstrating that this exceptional pair can occur, showing the result is sharp.