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C. Denson Hill

Publications and source records attributed to C. Denson Hill.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
arXiv2023

Accidental CR structures

We noticed a discrepancy between Élie Cartan and Sigurdur Helgason about the lowest possible dimension in which the simple exceptional Lie group ${\bf E}_8$ can be realized. This raised the question about the lowest dimensions in which various real forms of the exceptional groups ${\bf E}_\ell$ can be realized. Cartan claims that ${\bf E}_6$ can be realized in dimension 16. However Cartan refers to the complex group ${\bf E}_6$, or its split real form $E_I$. His claim is also valid in the case of the real form denoted by $E_{IV}$. We find however that the real forms $E_{II}$ and $E_{III}$ of ${\bf E}_6$ can not be realized in dimension 16 à la Cartan. In this paper we realize them in dimension 24 as groups of CR automorphisms of certain CR structures of higher codimension. As a byproduct of these two realizations, we provide a full list of CR structures $(M,H,J)$ and their CR embeddings in an appropriate ${\bf C}^N$, which satisfy the following conditions: (1) they have real codimension $k>1$, (2) the real vector distribution $H$ proper for the action of the complex structure $J$ is such that $[H,H]+H=TM$, (3) the local group $G_J$ of CR automorphisms of the structure $(M,H,J)$ is simple, acts transitively on $M$ and has isotropy $P$ being a parabolic subgroup in $G_J$, (4) the local symmetry group $G$ of the vector distribution $H$ on $M$ coincides with the group $G_J$ of CR automorphisms of $(M,H,J)$. Because all the CR structures from our list satisfy the last property we call them accidental. Our CR structures of higher codimension with the exceptional symmetries $E_{II}$ and $E_{III}$ are particular entries in this list.

math.CV↗
arXiv2023

Infinitesimal CR Symmetries of Accidental CR Structures

In this companion paper to our article {\em Accidental CR structures} (arxiv.org, January 2023), thought of as an appendix not submitted for publication, we provide complete explicit lists of infinitesimal CR automorphisms for the concerned CR models having respective Lie algebra structures: $${\bf E}_{II}, \qquad\ {\bf E}_{III}, \qquad\ \mathfrak{so}(\ell-1,\ell+1), \qquad\ \mathfrak{su}(p,q).$$ We start from our lists of {\em quadric} CR submanifolds $M^{2n+c} \subset \mathbb{C}^{n+c}$ of codimension $c >1$ which are shown to be {\em accidental}, in the sense that their CR symmetry groups are {\em equal to} (and not smaller than) the symmetry groups of the underlying real distribution structures -- after forgetting the complex structure. Thanks to intensive symbolic computer explorations, we then determine embedded vector field generators of these CR symmetries Lie algebras, and we express them in {\em extrinsic} holomorphic coordinates, because intrinsic formulas would be too extended to be shown.

math.CV↗
arXiv2020

A stability theorem for projective $CR$ manifolds

We consider smooth deformations of the $CR$ structure of a smooth $2$-pseudoconcave compact $CR$ submanifold $\textsf{M}$ of a reduced complex analytic variety $\textsf{X}$ outside the intersection $D\,{\cap}\,\textsf{M}$ with the support $D$ of a Cartier divisor of a positive line bundle $\texttt{F}_{\textsf{X}}.$ We show that nearby structures still admit projective $CR$ embeddings. Special results are obtained under the additional assumptions that $\textsf{X}$ is a projective space or a Fano variety.

math.CV↗
arXiv2019

A car as parabolic geometry

We show that a car, viewed as a nonholonomic system, provides an example of a flat parabolic geometry of type $({\bf SO}(2,3),P_{12})$, where $P_{12}$ is a Borel parabolic subgroup in ${\bf SO}(2,3)$. We discuss the relations of this geometry of a car with the geometry of circles in the plane (a low dimensional Lie sphere geometry), the geometry of 3-dimensional conformal Minkowski spacetime, the geometry of 3-rd order ODEs, projective contact geometry in three dimensions, and the corresponding twistor fibrations. We indicate how all these classical geometries can be interpreted in terms of the nonholonomic kinematics of a car.

math.DG↗
arXiv2019

Aspects of the Levi form

We discuss various analytical and geometrical aspects of the Levi form, which is associated with a CR manifold having any CR dimension and any CR codimension.

math.CV↗
arXiv2019

Flexible and inflexible $CR$ submanifolds

In this paper we prove new embedding results for compactly supported deformations of $CR$ submanifolds of $\mathbb{C}^{n+d}$: We show that if $M$ is a $2$-pseudoconcave $CR$ submanifold of type $(n,d)$ in $\mathbb{C}^{n+d}$, then any compactly supported $CR$ deformation stays in the space of globally $CR$ embeddable in $\mathbb{C}^{n+d}$ manifolds. This improves an earlier result, where $M$ was assumed to be a quadratic $2$-pseudoconcave $CR$ submanifold of $\mathbb{C}^{n+d}$. We also give examples of weakly $2$-pseudoconcave $CR$ manifolds admitting compactly supported $CR$ deformations that are not even locally $CR$ embeddable.

math.CV↗
arXiv2017

Lorentzian $CR$ structures and nonembeddability

In this paper we construct examples of $CR$ deformations of Lorentzian hypersurfaces which are $CR$ embeddable at all points outside an arbitrarily small compact set whose interior contains a point where $CR$ embeddablity is not possible.

math.CV↗
arXiv2017

Non locally trivializable $CR$ line bundles over compact Lorentzian $CR$ manifolds

We consider compact $CR$ manifolds of arbitrary $CR$ codimension that satisfy certain geometric conditions in terms of their Levi form. Over these compact $CR$ manifolds, we construct a deformation of the trivial $CR$ line bundle over $M$ which is topologically trivial over $M$ but fails to be even locally $CR$ trivializable over any open subset of $M$. In particular, our results apply to compact Lorentzian $CR$ manifolds of hypersurface type.

math.CV↗
arXiv2016

Inflexible $CR$ submanifolds

In this paper we introduce the concept of inflexible $CR$ submanifolds. These are $CR$ submanifolds of some complex Euclidean space such that any compactly supported $CR$ deformation is again globally $CR$ embeddable into some complex Euclidean space. Our main result is that any $2$-pseudoconcave quadratic $CR$ submanifold of type $(n,d)$ in $\mathbb{C}^{n+d}$ is inflexible.

math.CV↗
arXiv2009

Complex vector fields and hypoelliptic partial differential operators

We prove a subelliptic estimate for systems of complex vector fields under some assumptions that generalize the essential pseudoconcavity for $CR$ manifolds and Hörmander's bracket condition for real vector fields. Applications are given to prove the hypoellipticity of first order systems and second order partial differential operators. Finally we describe a class of compact homogeneous CR manifolds for which the distribution of $(0,1)$ vector fields satisfies a subelliptic estimate. v2: minor revision, to appear in Ann. Inst. Fourier

math.AP↗
arXiv2008

On the Cauchy problem for the debar operator

We present new results concerning the solvability, of lack thereof, in the Cauchy problem for the debar operator, with initial values assigned on a weakly pseudoconvex hypersurface, and provide illustrative examples.

math.CV↗
arXiv2008

Einstein's equations and the embedding of 3-dimensional CR manifolds

We prove several theorems concerning the connection between the local CR embeddability of 3-dimensional CR manifolds, and the existence of algebraically special Maxwell and gravitational fields. We reduce the Einstein equations for spacetimes associated with such fields to a system of CR invariant equations on a 3-dimensional CR manifold defined by the fields. Using the reduced Einstein equations we construct two independent CR functions for the corresponding CR manifold. We also point out that the Einstein equations, imposed on spacetimes associated with a 3-dimensional CR manifold, imply that the spacetime metric, after an appropriate rescaling, becomes well defined on a circle bundle over the CR manifold. The circle bundle itself emerges as a consequence of Einstein's equations.

math.DG↗
arXiv2007

Weak pseudoconcavity and the maximum modulus principle

We discuss the maximum modulus principle, and weak unique continuation, for CR functions on an abstract almost CR manifold M. We investigate these matters under the assumption of weak pseudoconcavity, and obtain sharp results about propagation along Sussmann leaves.

math.CV↗