arXiv subjects

Davide Barilari

Publications and source records attributed to Davide Barilari.

36 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Sharp measure contraction property for generalized H-type Carnot groups

We prove that H-type Carnot groups of rank $k$ and dimension $n$ satisfy the $\mathrm{MCP}(K,N)$ if and only if $K\leq 0$ and $N \geq k+3(n-k)$. The latter integer coincides with the geodesic dimension of the Carnot group. The same result holds true for the larger class of generalized H-type Carnot groups introduced in this paper, and for which we compute explicitly the optimal synthesis. This constitutes the largest class of Carnot groups for which the curvature exponent coincides with the geodesic dimension. We stress that generalized H-type Carnot groups have step 2, include all corank 1 groups and, in general, admit abnormal minimizing curves. As a corollary, we prove the absolute continuity of the Wasserstein geodesics for the quadratic cost on all generalized H-type Carnot groups.

math.MG↗

arXiv2017

Sub-Riemannian structures on 3D Lie groups

We give the complete classification of left-invariant sub-Riemannian structures on three dimensional Lie groups in terms of the basic differential invariants. This classifications recovers other known classification results in the literature, in particular the one obtained in [Falbel-Gorodski, 1996] in terms of curvature invariants of a canonical connection. Moreover, we explicitly find a sub-Riemannian isometry between the nonisomorphic Lie groups $SL(2)$ and $A^{+}(\mathbb{R})\times S^1$, where $A^+(\mathbb{R})$ denotes the group of orientation preserving affine maps on the real line.

math.DG↗

arXiv2017

On the set of points of smoothness for the value function for affine optimal control problems

We study the regularity properties of the value function associated with an affine optimal control problem with quadratic cost plus a potential, for a fixed final time and initial point. Without assuming any condition on singular minimizers, we prove that the value function is continuous on an open and dense subset of the interior of the attainable set. As a byproduct we obtain that it is actually smooth on a possibly smaller set, still open and dense.

math.OC↗

arXiv2017

On Jacobi fields and canonical connection in sub-Riemannian geometry

In sub-Riemannian geometry the coefficients of the Jacobi equation define curvature-like invariants. We show that these coefficients can be interpreted as the curvature of a canonical Ehresmann connection associated to the metric, first introduced in [Zelenko-Li]. We show why this connection is naturally nonlinear, and we discuss some of its properties.

math.DG↗

arXiv2016

Heat kernel asymptotics on sub-Riemannian manifolds with symmetries and applications to the bi-Heisenberg group

By adapting a technique of Molchanov, we obtain the heat kernel asymptotics at the sub-Riemannian cut locus, when the cut points are reached by an $r$-dimensional parametric family of optimal geodesics. We apply these results to the bi-Heisenberg group, that is, a nilpotent left-invariant sub-Rieman\-nian structure on $\mathbb{R}^{5}$ depending on two real parameters $α_{1}$ and $α_{2}$. We develop some results about its geodesics and heat kernel associated to its sub-Laplacian and we illuminate some interesting geometric and analytic features appearing when one compares the isotropic ($α_{1}=α_{2}$) and the non-isotropic cases ($α_{1}\neq α_{2}$). In particular, we give the exact structure of the cut locus, and we get the complete small-time asymptotics for its heat kernel.

math.AP↗

arXiv2016

Comparison theorems for conjugate points in sub-Riemannian geometry

We prove sectional and Ricci-type comparison theorems for the existence of conjugate points along sub-Riemannian geodesics. In order to do that, we regard sub-Riemannian structures as a special kind of variational problems. In this setting, we identify a class of models, namely linear quadratic optimal control systems, that play the role of the constant curvature spaces. As an application, we prove a version of sub-Riemannian Bonnet-Myers theorem and we obtain some new results on conjugate points for three dimensional left-invariant sub-Riemannian structures.

math.DG↗

arXiv2016

Sub-Riemannian curvature in contact geometry

We compare different notions of curvature on contact sub-Riemannian manifolds. In particular we introduce canonical curvatures as the coefficients of the sub-Riemannian Jacobi equation. The main result is that all these coefficients are encoded in the asymptotic expansion of the horizontal derivatives of the sub-Riemannian distance. We explicitly compute their expressions in terms of the standard tensors of contact geometry. As an application of these results, we obtain a sub-Riemannian version of the Bonnet-Myers theorem that applies to any contact manifold.

math.DG↗

arXiv2015

Curvature terms in small time heat kernel expansion for a model class of hypoelliptic Hörmander operators

We consider the heat equation associated with a class of second order hypoelliptic Hörmander operators with constant second order term and linear drift. We describe the possible small time heat kernel expansion on the diagonal giving a geometric characterization of the coefficients in terms of the divergence of the drift field and the curvature-like invariants of the optimal control problem associated with the diffusion operator.

math.AP↗

arXiv2015

Sub-Finsler structures from the time-optimal control viewpoint for some nilpotent distributions

In this paper we study the sub-Finsler geometry as a time-optimal control problem. In particular, we consider non-smooth and non-strictly convex sub-Finsler structures associated with the Heisenberg, Grushin, and Martinet distributions. Motivated by problems in geometric group theory, we characterize extremal curves, discuss their optimality, and calculate the metric spheres, proving their Euclidean rectifiability.

math.DG↗

arXiv2015

Curvature: a variational approach

The curvature discussed in this paper is a rather far going generalization of the Riemannian sectional curvature. We define it for a wide class of optimal control problems: a unified framework including geometric structures such as Riemannian, sub-Riemannian, Finsler and sub-Finsler structures; a special attention is paid to the sub-Riemannian (or Carnot-Caratheodory) metric spaces. Our construction of the curvature is direct and naive, and it is similar to the original approach of Riemann. Surprisingly, it works in a very general setting and, in particular, for all sub-Riemannian spaces.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

On the heat diffusion for generic Riemannian and sub-Riemannian structures

In this paper we provide the small-time heat kernel asymptotics at the cut locus in three relevant cases: generic low-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, generic 3D contact sub-Riemannian manifolds (close to the starting point) and generic 4D quasi-contact sub-Riemannian manifolds (close to a generic starting point). As a byproduct, we show that, for generic low-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, the only singularities of the exponential map, as a Lagragian map, that can arise along a minimizing geodesic are $A_3$ and $A_5$ (in the classification of Arnol'd's school). We show that in the non-generic case, a cornucopia of asymptotics can occur, even for Riemannian surfaces.

math.AP↗

arXiv2013

Small time heat kernel asymptotics at the cut locus on surfaces of revolution

In this paper we investigate the small time heat kernel asymptotics on the cut locus on a class of surfaces of revolution, which are the simplest 2-dimensional Riemannian manifolds different from the sphere with non trivial cut-conjugate locus. We determine the degeneracy of the exponential map near a cut-conjugate point and present the consequences of this result to the small time heat kernel asymptotics at this point. These results give a first example where the minimal degeneration of the asymptotic expansion at the cut locus is attained.

math.AP↗

arXiv2013

A formula for Popp's volume in sub-Riemannian geometry

For an equiregular sub-Riemannian manifold M, Popp's volume is a smooth volume which is canonically associated with the sub-Riemannian structure, and it is a natural generalization of the Riemannian one. In this paper we prove a general formula for Popp's volume, written in terms of a frame adapted to the sub-Riemannian distribution. As a first application of this result, we prove an explicit formula for the canonical sub-Laplacian, namely the one associated with Popp's volume. Finally, we discuss sub-Riemannian isometries, and we prove that they preserve Popp's volume. We also show that, under some hypotheses on the action of the isometry group of M, Popp's volume is essentially the unique volume with such a property.

math.DG↗

arXiv2013

Geometry of Maslov cycles

We introduce the notion of induced Maslov cycle, which describes and unifies geometrical and topological invariants of many apparently unrelated problems, from Real Algebraic Geometry to sub-Riemannian Geometry.

math.SG↗

arXiv2012

Small time heat kernel asymptotics at the sub-Riemannian cut locus

For a sub-Riemannian manifold provided with a smooth volume, we relate the small time asymptotics of the heat kernel at a point $y$ of the cut locus from $x$ with roughly "how much" $y$ is conjugate to $x$. This is done under the hypothesis that all minimizers connecting $x$ to $y$ are strongly normal, i.e.\ all pieces of the trajectory are not abnormal. Our result is a refinement of the one of Leandre $4t\log p_t(x,y)\to -d^2(x,y)$ for $t\to 0$, in which only the leading exponential term is detected. Our results are obtained by extending an idea of Molchanov from the Riemannian to the sub-Riemannian case, and some details we get appear to be new even in the Riemannian context. These results permit us to obtain properties of the sub-Riemannian distance starting from those of the heat kernel and vice versa. For the Grushin plane endowed with the Euclidean volume we get the expansion $p_t(x,y)\sim t^{-5/4}\exp(-d^2(x,y)/4t)$ where $y$ is reached from a Riemannian point $x$ by a minimizing geodesic which is conjugate at $y$.

math.AP↗

arXiv2011

On 2-step, corank 2 nilpotent sub-Riemannian metrics

In this paper we study the nilpotent 2-step, corank 2 sub-Riemannian metrics that are nilpotent approximations of general sub-Riemannian metrics. We exhibit optimal syntheses for these problems. It turns out that in general the cut time is not equal to the first conjugate time but has a simple explicit expression. As a byproduct of this study we get some smoothness properties of the spherical Hausdorff measure in the case of a generic 6 dimensional, 2-step corank 2 sub-Riemannian metric.

math.OC↗

arXiv2011

Trace heat kernel asymptotics in 3D contact sub-Riemannian geometry

In this paper we study the small time asymptotics for the heat kernel on a sub-Riemannian manifold, using a perturbative approach. We then explicitly compute, in the case of a 3D contact structure, the first two coefficients of the small time asymptotics expansion of the heat kernel on the diagonal, expressing them in terms of the two basic functional invariants $χ$ and $κ$ defined on a 3D contact structure.

math.AP↗

arXiv2011

On the Hausdorff volume in sub-Riemannian geometry

For a regular sub-Riemannian manifold we study the Radon-Nikodym derivative of the spherical Hausdorff measure with respect to a smooth volume. We prove that this is the volume of the unit ball in the nilpotent approximation and it is always a continuous function. We then prove that up to dimension 4 it is smooth, while starting from dimension 5, in corank 1 case, it is C^3 (and C^4 on every smooth curve) but in general not C^5. These results answer to a question addressed by Montgomery about the relation between two intrinsic volumes that can be defined in a sub-Riemannian manifold, namely the Popp and the Hausdorff volume. If the nilpotent approximation depends on the point (that may happen starting from dimension 5), then they are not proportional, in general.

math.DG↗