The regularized free fall II. Homology computation via heat flow

Abstract

In [1] Barutello, Ortega, and Verzini introduced a non-local functional which regularizes the free fall. This functional has a critical point at infinity and therefore does not satisfy the Palais-Smale condition. In this article we study the $L^2$ gradient flow which gives rise to a non-local heat flow. We construct a rich cascade Morse chain complex which has one generator in each degree $k\ge 1$. Calculation reveals a rather poor Morse homology having just one generator. In particular, there must be a wealth of solutions of the heat flow equation. These can be interpreted as solutions of the Schrödinger equation after a Wick rotation.