Published online by Cambridge University Press: 07 May 2002
For any \varepsilon > 0, we construct an explicit smooth Riemannian metric on the sphere S^n, n \geq 3, that is within \varepsilon of the round metric and has a geodesic for which the corresponding orbit of the geodesic flow is \varepsilon-dense in the unit tangent bundle. Moreover, for any \varepsilon > 0, we construct a smooth Riemannian metric on S^n, n \geq 3, that is within \varepsilon of the round metric and has a geodesic for which the complement of the closure of the corresponding orbit of the geodesic flow has Liouville measure less than \varepsilon.