You can hear the shape of a billiard table: Symbolic dynamics and rigidity for flat surfaces

We give a complete characterization of the relationship between the shape of a Euclidean polygon and the symbolic dynamics of its billiard flow. We prove that the only pairs of tables that can have the same bounce spectrum are right-angled tables that differ by an affine map. The main tool is a new theorem that establishes that a flat cone metric is completely determined by the support of its Liouville current.

Automated summary

This study provides a complete characterization of the relationship between the shape of a Euclidean polygon and the symbolic dynamics of its billiard flow, showing that only pairs of right-angled tables that differ by an affine map can have the same bounce spectrum. The main tool used in the study is a new theorem that establishes the complete determination of a flat cone metric by the support of its Liouville current.