In this paper we provide a characterization of intrinsic Lipschitz graphs in the sub-Riemannian Heisenberg groups in terms of their distributional gradients. Moreover, we prove the equivalence of different notions of continuous weak solutions to the equation ϕ_y+ [ϕ^{2}/2]_t=w, where w is a bounded function depending on ϕ.
We prove that, in the first Heisenberg group $\mathbb{H}$, an entire locally Lipschitz intrinsic graph admitting vanishing first variation of its sub-Riemannian area and non-negative second variation must be an intrinsic plane, i.e., a coset of a two dimensional subgroup of $\mathbb{H}$. Moreover two examples are given for stressing result's sharpness.
We prove that in the Heisenberg group $\mathbb{H}^1$ with a sub-Finsler structure, an $(X,Y)$-Lipschitz surface which is complete, oriented, connected and stable must be a vertical plane. In particular, the result holds for entire intrinsic graphs of Euclidean Lipschitz functions.
We focus our attention on the notion of intrinsic Lipschitz graphs, inside a subclass of Carnot groups of step 2 which includes a corank 1 Carnot groups (and so the Heisenberg groups), Free groups of step 2 and the complexified Heisenberg group. More precisely, we prove the equivalence between intrinsic Lipschitz map and a weak solution to a suitable non linear first order PDE system, which generalizes Lagrangian solution in the context of Heisenberg groups.
For a strictly convex set $K\subset \mathbb{R}^2$ of class $C^2$ we consider its associated sub-Finsler $K$-perimeter $|\partial E|_K$ in $\mathbb{H}^1$ and the prescribed mean curvature functional $|\partial E|_K-\int_E f$ associated to a function $f$. Given a critical set for this functional with Euclidean Lipschitz and intrinsic regular boundary, we prove that their characteristic curves are of class $C^2$ and that this regularity is optimal. The result holds in particular when the boundary of $E$ is of class $C^1$.
We give a geometric criterion for a topological surface in the first Heisenberg group to be an intrinsic Lipschitz graph, using planar cones instead of the usual open cones.
Minimal surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^n$ can be locally approximated by graphs of harmonic functions, i.e., functions that are critical points of the Dirichlet energy, but no analogous theorem is known for $H$-minimal surfaces in the three-dimensional Heisenberg group $\mathbb{H}$, which are known to have singularities. In this paper, we introduce a definition of intrinsic Dirichlet energy for surfaces in $\mathbb{H}$ and study the critical points of this energy, which we call contact harmonic graphs. Nearly flat regions of $H$-minimal surfaces can often be approximated by such graphs. We give a cal…
It is proved that the Heisenberg group $\operatorname*{Nil}\nolimits_{3}$ with a balanced metric, the sum of the left and right invariant metrics, splits as a Riemannian product $\mathbb{T\times Z}$, where $\mathbb{T}$ is a totally geodesic surface and $\mathbb{Z}$ the center of $\operatorname*{Nil}% \nolimits_{3}.$ It is then proved the existence of complete properly embedded minimal surfaces in $\operatorname*{Nil}\nolimits_{3}$ by solving the asymptotic Dirichlet problem for the minimal surface equation on $\mathbb{T}$. It is also proved the existence of complete properly embedded minimal s…
This paper studies the geometry of bilipschitz maps $f \colon \mathbb{W} \to \mathbb{H}$, where $\mathbb{H}$ is the first Heisenberg group, and $\mathbb{W} \subset \mathbb{H}$ is a vertical subgroup of co-dimension $1$. The images $f(\mathbb{W})$ of such maps are called Rickman rugs in the Heisenberg group. The main theorem states that a Rickman rug in the Heisenberg group admits a corona decomposition by intrinsic bilipschitz graphs. As a corollary, Rickman rugs are countably rectifiable by intrinsic bilipschitz graphs. Here, an intrinsic bilipschitz graph is an intrinsic Lipschitz graph, whi…
We show that a map with Hölder exponent bigger than $1/2$ from a quasi-convex metric space with vanishing first Lipschitz homology into the Sub-Riemannian Heisenberg group factors through a tree. In particular, if the domain contains a disk, such a map can't be injective. This gives an answer to a question of Gromov for the simplest nontrivial case. The same tools allow to improve on a result of Borisov and it is shown that an isometric immersion of class $C^{1,α}$ of a Riemannian surface with positive Gauss curvature into $\mathbb{R}^3$ has bounded extrinsic curvature if $α> 1/2$.
This paper is related to the problem of finding a good notion of rectifiability in sub-Riemannian geometry. In particular, we study which kind of results can be expected for smooth hypersurfaces in Carnot groups. Our main contribution will be a consequence of the following result: there exists a $C^{\infty}$ hypersurface $S$ without characteristic points that has uncountably many pairwise non-isomorphic tangent groups on every positive-measure subset. The example is found in a Carnot group of topological dimension 8, it has Hausdorff dimension 12 and so we use on it the Hausdorff measure $\mat…
Two definitions for the rectfiability of hypersurfaces in Heisenberg groups $\mathbb{H}^n$ have been proposed: one based on $\mathbb{H}$-regular surfaces, and the other on Lipschitz images of subsets of codimension-$1$ vertical subgroups. The equivalence between these notions remains an open problem. Recent partial results are due to Cole-Pauls, Bigolin-Vittone, and Antonelli-Le Donne. This paper makes progress in one direction: the metric Lipschitz rectifiability of $\mathbb{H}$-regular surfaces. We prove that $\mathbb{H}$-regular surfaces in $\mathbb{H}^{n}$ with $α$-Hölder continuous horizo…
