The discriminant and oscillation lengths for contact and Legendrian isotopies
Vincent Colin, Sheila Sandon (2015)
Journal of the European Mathematical Society
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We define an integer-valued non-degenerate bi-invariant metric (the discriminant metric) on the universal cover of the identity component of the contactomorphism group of any contact manifold. This metric has a very simple geometric definition, based on the notion of discriminant points of contactomorphisms. Using generating functions we prove that the discriminant metric is unbounded for the standard contact structures on and . On the other hand we also show by elementary arguments...