We classify connected Lie groups which are locally isomorphic to generalized Heisenberg groups. For a given generalized Heisenberg group $N$, there is a one-to-one correspondence between the set of isomorphism classes of connected Lie groups which are locally isomorphic to $N$ and a union of certain quotients of noncompact Riemannian symmetric spaces.
We prove that the configuration space of equidistant triples on the Heisenberg group equipped with the Korányi metric, is isomorphic to a hypersurface of $\mathbb{R}^3$.
We show that every non-compact simple real Lie algebra not isomorphic to so(n,1) has a unique conjugacy class of parabolic subalgebras whose nilradical is of Heisenberg type, or non-singular, and give some applications.
Every real simple non-compact Lie algebra not isomorphic to $\mathfrak{so}(1,n)$ contains a unique standard parabolic subalgebra whose nilradical is a generalized Heisenberg algebra. Here we discuss the associated parabolic geometries and the riemannian geometry of the harmonic spaces having the former as conformal infinities.
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 a strictly stable minimal $C^2_h$ intrinsic graph G is locally area-minimizing, i.e. given any $C^1_h$ graph $S$ with the same boundary, $\text{Area}(G)<\text{Area}(S)$ unless $G=S$. As a consequence we show the existence and the uniqueness of $C^\infty$ minimal graphs with prescribed small boundary datum.
We examine the local geometry of affine surfaces which are locally symmetric. There are 6 non-isomorphic local geometries. We realize these examples as Type A, Type B, and Type C geometries using a result of Opozda and classify the relevant geometries up to linear isomorphism. We examine the geodesic structures in this context. Particular attention is paid to the Lorentzian analogue of the hyperbolic plane and to the pseudosphere.
In this paper a conformal classification of three dimensional left-invariant sub-Riemannian contact structures is carried out; in particular we will prove the following dichotomy: either a structure is locally conformal to the Heisenberg group $\mathbb H_3$, or its conformal classification coincides with the metric one. If a structure is locally conformally flat, then its conformal group is locally isomorphic to $SU(2,1)$.
We address the problem of integrability of the sub-Riemannian mean curvature of an embedded hypersurface around isolated characteristic points. The main contribution of this note is the introduction of a concept of mildly degenerate characteristic point for a smooth surface of the Heisenberg group, in a neighborhood of which the sub-Riemannian mean curvature is integrable (with respect to the perimeter measure induced by the Euclidean structure). As a consequence we partially answer to a question posed by Danielli-Garofalo-Nhieu in [Danielli D., Garofalo N., Nhieu D.M., Proc. Amer. Math. Soc.,…
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…