Homogeneous geodesics and the critical points of the restricted Finsler function

In this paperwe study the set of homogeneous geodesics of a left-invariant Finsler metric on Lie groups. We first give a simple criterion that characterizes geodesic vectors. We extend J. Szenthe’s result on homogeneous geodesics to left-invariant Finsler metrics. This result gives a relation between geodesic vectors and restricted Minkowski norm in Finsler setting. We show that if a compact connected and semisimple Lie group has rank greater than 1, then for every left-invariant Finsler metric there are infinitely many homogeneous geodesics through the identity element.     

On Geodesic Curves on Quotient Manifold of Nondegenerate Affinor Fields

We consider the quotient manifold of the manifold of nondegenerate affinor fields on a compact manifold with respect to the action of the group of nowhere vanishing functions. This manifold is endowed with a structure of infinite-dimensional Lie group. On this Lie group, we construct an object of linear connection with respect to which all left-invariant vector fields are covariantly constant (the Cartan connection). We also find the geodesics of the Cartan connection.     

Lorentz Geometry of 2-Step Nilpotent Lie Groups

We study the geometry of 2-step nilpotent Lie groups endowed with left-invariant Lorentz metrics. After integrating explicitly the geodesic equations, we discuss the problem of the existence of translated geodesics in those groups. A good part of the paper focuses on the existence of closed timelike geodesics in compact Lorentz 2-step nilmanifolds. Other related results, corollaries, and examples are also presented.     

Left-invariant Riemannian problems on the groups of proper motions of hyperbolic plane and sphere

On the Lie groups PSL₂(?) and SO₃ we consider left-invariant Riemannian metrics with two equal eigenvalues. The global optimality of geodesics is investigated. We find the parametrization of geodesics, the cut locus and the equations for the cut time. When the third eigenvalue of a metric tends to the infinity the cut locus and the cut time converge to the cut locus and the cut time of the sub-Riemannian problem.     

On extensions of sub-Riemannian structures on Lie groups

We define the extension of a left-invariant sub-Riemannian structure in terms of an extension of the underlying Lie group and compatibility of the respective distributions and metrics. We show that geodesics of a structure can be lifted to geodesics of any extension of the structure. In the case of central extensions, we show that the normal geodesics of the minimal extension are the projection (in a sense) of the normal geodesics of any other compatible extension. Several illustrative examples are discussed.     

Cotangent bundles of 4-dimensional hypercomplex Lie groups

 We study geometrical structures on the cotangent bundle T ^* G of a Lie group G which are left-invariant with respect to the Lie group structure on T ^* G determined by a left-invariant affine structure ∇ on G. In particular, we investigate the existence of conformally hyper-K?hler metrics and hyper-K?hler with torsion (HKT) structures on the cotangent bundle of hypercomplex 4-dimensional Lie groups. By applying In?nü-Wigner contractions to compact semisimple Lie algebras we obtain non semisimple Lie algebras endowed with invariant HKT structures. Received: 4 February 2002 / Revised version: 20 August 2002 Research partially supported by MURST and GNSAGA (Indam) of Italy Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 53C26, 22E25     

Positive Hermitian curvature flow on nilpotent and almost-abelian complex Lie groups

We study the positive Hermitian curvature flow on the space of left-invariant metrics on complex Lie groups. We show that in the nilpotent case, the flow exists for all positive times and subconverges in the Cheeger–Gromov sense to a soliton. We also show convergence to a soliton when the complex Lie group is almost abelian. That is, when its Lie algebra admits a (complex) co-dimension one abelian ideal. Finally, we study solitons in the almost-abelian setting. We prove uniqueness and completely classify all left-invariant, almost-abelian solitons, giving a method to construct examples in arbitrary dimensions, many of which admit co-compact lattices.

     

Optimal Control and Geodesics on Quadratic Matrix Lie Groups

The purpose of this paper is to extend the symmetric representation of the rigid body equations from the group SO (n) to other groups. These groups are matrix subgroups of the general linear group that are defined by a quadratic matrix identity. Their corresponding Lie algebras include several classical semisimple matrix Lie algebras. The approach is to start with an optimal control problem on these groups that generates geodesics for a left-invariant metric. Earlier work by Bloch, Crouch, Marsden, and Ratiu defines the symmetric representation of the rigid body equations, which is obtained by solving the same optimal control problem in the particular case of the Lie group SO (n). This paper generalizes this symmetric representation to a wider class of matrix groups satisfying a certain quadratic matrix identity. We consider the relationship between this symmetric representation of the generalized rigid body equations and the generalized rigid body equations themselves. A discretization of this symmetric representation is constructed making use of the symmetry, which in turn give rise to numerical algorithms to integrate the generalized rigid body equations for the given class of matrix Lie groups. Dedicated to Professor Arieh Iserles on the Occasion of his Sixtieth Birthday.     

Conjugate Points on 2-Step Nilpotent Groups

Let N be a simply connected 2-step nilpotent Lie group equipped with a left-invariant metric. We consider the characterizations of Jacobi fields and conjugate points along geodesics emanating from the identity element in N. We obtain a partial result for N and the complete result for N with a one-dimensional center.     

Geodesic orbit metrics on compact simple Lie groups arising from flag manifolds

In this paper, we investigate left-invariant geodesic orbit metrics on connected simple Lie groups, where the metrics are formed by the structures of flag manifolds. We prove that all these left-invariant geodesic orbit metrics on simple Lie groups are naturally reductive.     

Local Structure of The Set of Steady-State Solutions to The 2d Incompressible Euler Equations

It is well known that the incompressible Euler equations can be formulated in a very geometric language. The geometric structures provide very valuable insights into the properties of the solutions. Analogies with the finite-dimensional model of geodesics on a Lie group with left-invariant metric can be very instructive, but it is often difficult to prove analogues of finite-dimensional results in the infinite-dimensional setting of Euler’s equations. In this paper we establish a result in this direction in the simple case of steady-state solutions in two dimensions, under some non-degeneracy assumptions. In particular, we establish, in a non-degenerate situation, a local one-to-one correspondence between steady-states and co-adjoint orbits.     

The space of left-invariant metrics on a Lie group up to isometry and scaling

We study the spaces of left-invariant Riemannian metrics on a Lie group up to isometry, and up to isometry and scaling. In this paper, we see that such spaces can be identified with the orbit spaces of certain isometric actions on noncompact symmetric spaces. We also study some Lie groups whose spaces of left-invariant metrics up to isometry and scaling are small.     

Homogeneous nilmanifolds attached to representations of compact Lie groups

For each compact Lie algebra ? and each real representation V of ? we consider a two-step nilpotent Lie group N(?,V), endowed with a natural left-invariant riemannian metric. The homogeneous nilmanifolds so obtained are precisely those which are naturally reductive. We study some geometric aspects of these manifolds, finding many parallels with H-type groups. We also obtain, within the class of manifolds N(?,V), the first examples of non-weakly symmetric, naturally reductive spaces and new examples of non-commutative naturally reductive spaces. Received: 16 September 1998 / Revised version: 24 February 1999     

On the volume of orbifold quotients of symmetric spaces

Key to H. C. Wang's quantitative study of Zassenhaus neighbourhoods of non-compact semisimple Lie groups are two constants that depend on the root system of the corresponding Lie algebra. This article extends the list of values for Wang's constants to the exceptional Lie groups and also removes their dependence on dimension. The first application is an improved upper sectional curvature bound for a canonical left-invariant metric on a semisimple Lie group. The second application is an explicit uniform positive lower bound for arbitrary orbifold quotients of a given irreducible symmetric space of non-compact type.     

Non-trivial m-quasi-Einstein metrics on quadratic Lie groups

We call a metric m-quasi-Einstein if \({Ric_X^m}\) (a modification of the m-Bakry–Emery Ricci tensor in terms of a suitable vector field X) is a constant multiple of the metric tensor. It is a generalization of Einstein metrics which contain Ricci solitons. In this paper, we focus on left-invariant vector fields and left-invariant Riemannian metrics on quadratic Lie groups. First we prove that any left-invariant vector field X such that the left-invariant Riemannian metric on a quadratic Lie group is m-quasi-Einstein is a Killing vector field. Then we construct infinitely many non-trivial m-quasi-Einstein metrics on solvable quadratic Lie groups G(n) for m finite.     

Assouad–Nagata dimension of connected Lie groups

We prove that the asymptotic Assouad–Nagata dimension of a connected Lie group G equipped with a left-invariant Riemannian metric coincides with its topological dimension of G/C where C is a maximal compact subgroup. To prove it we will compute the Assouad–Nagata dimension of connected solvable Lie groups and semisimple Lie groups. As a consequence we show that the asymptotic Assouad–Nagata dimension of a polycyclic group equipped with a word metric is equal to its Hirsch length and that some wreath-type finitely generated groups can not be quasi-isometrically embedded into any cocompact lattice on a connected Lie group.     

Closed geodesics in compact nilmanifolds

We study the density of closed geodesics property on 2-step nilmanifolds Γ\N, where N is a simply connected 2-step nilpotent Lie group with a left invariant Riemannian metric and Lie algebra ?, and Γ is a lattice in N. We show the density of closedgeodesics property holds for quotients of singular, simply connected, 2-step nilpotent Lie groups N which are constructed using irreducible representations of the compact Lie group SU(2). Received: 8 November 2000 / Revised version: 9 April 2001     

Length minimizing geodesics and the length spectrum of Riemannian two-step nilmanifolds

In the first part of this article, we prove an explicit lower bound on the distance to the cut point of an arbitrary geodesic in a simply connected two-step nilpotent Lie group G with a lieft invariant metric. As a result, we obtaine a lower bound on the injectivity radius of a simply connected two-step nilpotent Lie group with a left invariant metric. We use this lower bound to determine the form of certain length minimizing geodesics from the identity to elements in the center of G. We also give an example of a two-step nilpotent Lie group G such that along most geodesics in this group, the cut point and the first conjugate point do not coincide. In the second part of this article, we examine the relation between the Laplace spectrum and the length spectrum on nilmanifolds by showing that a method developed by Gordon and Wilson for constructing families of isospectral two-step nilmanifolds necessarily yields manifolds with the same length spectrum. As a consequence, all known methods for constructing families of isospectral two-step nilmanifolds necessarily yield manifolds with the same length spectrum. In memory of Robert Brooks     

Control of mechanical systems on Lie groups and ideal hydrodynamics

In contrast to the Euler–Poincaré reduction of geodesic flows of left- or right-invariant metrics on Lie groups to the corresponding Lie algebra (or its dual), one can consider the reduction of the geodesic flows to the group itself. The reduced vector field has a remarkable hydrodynamic interpretation: it is the velocity field for a stationary flow of an ideal fluid. Right- or left-invariant symmetry fields of the reduced field define vortex manifolds for such flows. Now we consider a mechanical system, whose configuration space is a Lie group and whose Lagrangian is invariant with respect to left translations on this group, and assume that the mass geometry f the system may change under the action of internal control forces. Such a system can also be reduced to a Lie group. Without controls, this mechanical system describes a geodesic flow of the left-invariant metric, given by the Lagrangian, and, therefore, its reduced flow is a stationary ideal fluid flow on the Lie group. The standard control problem for such system is to find the conditions under which the system can be brought from any initial position in the configuration space to another preassigned position by changing its mass geometry. We show that under these conditions, by changing the mass geometry, one can also bring one vortex manifold to any other preassigned vortex manifold. Translated from Sovremennaya Matematika i Ee Prilozheniya (Contemporary Mathematics and Its Applications), Vol. 61, Optimal Control, 2008.