First-order regularity of convex functions on Carnot Groups

We prove that h-convex functions on Carnot groups of step two are locally Lipschitz continuous with respect to any intrinsic metric. We show that an additional measurability condition implies the local Lipschitz continuity of h-convex functions on arbitrary Carnot groups. To the Memory of Q. G.     

Intrinsic regular hypersurfaces in Heisenberg groups

We study the ℍ-regular surfaces, a class of intrinsic regular hypersurfaces in the setting of the Heisenberg group ℍ ⁿ = ℂ ⁿ × ℝ = ℝ²ⁿ⁺¹ endowed with a leftinvariant metric d_∞ equivalent to its Carnot-Carathéodory (CC) metric. Here hypersurface simply means topological codimension 1 surface and by the words “intrinsic” and “regular” we mean, respectively notions involving the group structure of ℍ ⁿ and its differential structure as CC manifold. In particular, we characterize these surfaces as intrinsic regular graphs inside ℍ ⁿ by studying the intrinsic regularity of the parameterizations and giving an areatype formula for their intrinsic surface measure.     

Spherical functions on harmonic extensions ofH-type groups

We consider the harmonic extension AN of an H-type group N with Lie algebra n = v + z, and [v, v] = z. We characterize the positive definite spherical functions on AN.     

The orbit method and Gelfand pairs, associated with nilpotent Lie groups

Let K be a compact Lie group acting by automorphisms on a nilpotent Lie group N. One calls (K, N) a Gelfand pair when the integrable K-invariant functions on N form a commutative algebra under convolution. We prove that in this case the coadjoint orbits for G:= K × N which meet the annihilator of the Lie algebra of K do so in single K-orbits. This generalizes a result of the authors and R. Lipsman concerning Gelfand pairs associated with Heisenberg groups.     

On the best constant for the Friedrichs-Knapp-Stein inequality in free nilpotent Lie groups of step two and applications to subelliptic PDE

In this article we propose to find the best constant for the Friedrichs-Knapp-Stein inequality in F_2n,2, that is the free nilpotent Lie group of step two on 2n generators, and to prove the second-order differentiability of subelliptic p-harmonic functions in an interval of p.     

On the nonextendability of germs of holomorphic functions

We construct explicit supporting manifolds and local holomorphic peak functions as obstructions to the extendability of holomorphic functions on a class of domains not necessarily pseudoconvex in C^N, N >2.     

In polytopes,small balls about some vertex minimize perimeter

In (the surface of) a convex polytope Pⁿ in ℝⁿ⁺¹, for small prescribed volume, geodesic balls about some vertex minimize perimeter.     

Cartan’s magic formula and soap film structures

A soap film is actually a thin solid fluid bounded by two surfaces of opposite orientation. It is natural to model the film using one polyhedron for each side. Two problems are to get the polyhedra for both sides to be in the same place without canceling each other out and to model triple junctions without introducing extra boundary components. We use chainlet geometry to create dipole cells and mass cells which accomplish these goals and model faithfully all observable soap films and bubbles. We introduce a new norm on chains of these cells and prove lower semicontinuity of area. A geometric version of Carton’s magic formula provides the necessary boundary coherence.     

On Plateau’s problem for soap films with a bound on energy

We prove existence and almost everywhere regularity of an area minimizing soap film with a bound on energy spanning a given Jordan curve in Euclidean space R ³.The energy of a film is defined to be the sum of its surface area and the length of its singular branched set. The class of surfaces over which area is minimized includes images of disks, integral currents, nonorientable surfaces and soap films as observed by Plateau with a bound on energy. Our area minimizing solution is shown to be a smooth surface away from its branched set which is a union of Lipschitz Jordan curves of finite total length.     

Construction of wavelet sets with certain self-similarity properties

A measurable set Q ⊂ R ⁿ is a wavelet set for an expansive matrix A if F ⁻¹ _(ΧQ) is an A-dilation wavelet. Dai, Larson, and Speegle [7] discovered the existence of wavelet sets in R _n associated with any real n ×n expansive matrix. In this work, we construct a class of compact wavelet sets which do not contain the origin and which are, up to a certain linear transformation, finite unions of integer translates of an integral selfaffine tile associated with the matrix B = A ^t. Some of these wavelet sets may have good potential for applications because of their tractable geometric shapes.     

Small eigenvalues of geometrically finite manifolds

Let M be a complete geometrically finite manifold of bounded negative curvature, infinite volume, and dimension at least 3.We give both a lower bound for the bottom of the spectrum of M and an upper bound for the number of the small eigenvalues of M. These bounds only depend on the dimension, curvature bounds and the volume of the oneneighborhood of the convex core.     

Local solvability of partial differential operators on the Heisenberg group

In this article the following class of partial differential operators is examined for local solvability: Let P(X, Y) be a homogeneous polynomial of degree n ≥ 2 in the non-commuting variables X and Y. Suppose that the complex polynomial P(iz, 1) has distinct roots and that P(z, 0) = zⁿ. The operators which we investigate are of the form P(X, Y) where X = δ_x and Y = δ_y + xδ_w for variables (x, y, w) ∈ ?³. We find that the operators P (X, Y) are locally solvable if and only if the kernels of the ordinary differential operators P(iδ_x, ± x)* contain no Schwartz-class functions other than the zero function. The proof of this theorem involves the construction of a parametrix along with invariance properties of Heisenberg group operators and the application of Sobolev-space inequalities by Hörmander as necessary conditions for local solvability.     

A unified characterization of reproducing systems generated by a finite family

This article presents a general result from the study of shift-invariant spaces that characterizes tight frame and dual frame generators for shift-invariant subspaces of L²(ℝⁿ). A number of applications of this general result are then obtained, among which are the characterization of tight frames and dual frames for Gabor and wavelet systems.     

On the number of singularities for the obstacle problem in two dimensions

We study the obstacle problem in two dimensions. On the one hand we improve a result of L.A. Caffarelli and N.M. Rivière: we state that every connected component of the interior of the coincidence set has at most N ₀ singular points, where N ₀ is only dependent on some geometric constants. Moreover, if the component is small enough, then this component has at most two singular points. On the other hand, we prove in a simple case a conjecture of D.G. Schaeffer on the generic regularity of the free boundary: for a family of obstacle problems in two dimensions continuously indexed by a parameter λ, the free boundary of the solution u_λ is analytic for almost every λ. Finally we present a new monotonicity formula for singular points. Dedicated to Henri Berestycki and Alexis Bonnet.     

On the stability of the behavior of random walks on groups

We show that, for random walks on Cayley graphs, the long time behavior of the probability of return after 2n steps is invariant by quasi-isometry.     

Toral algebraic sets and function theory on polydisks

A toral algebraic set A is an algebraic set in ℂ ⁿ whose intersection with T ⁿ is sufficiently large to determine the holomorphic functions on A. We develop the theory of these sets, and give a number of applications to function theory in several variables and operator theoretic model theory. In particular, we show that the uniqueness set for an extremal Pick problem on the bidisk is a toral algebraic set, that rational inner functions have zero sets whose irreducible components are not toral, and that the model theory for a commuting pair of contractions with finite defect lives naturally on a toral algebraic set.     

Weak-type normal families of holomorphic mappings in Banach spaces and characterization of the Hilbert ball by its automorphism group

We present a characterization of the open unit ball in a separable infinite dimensional Hilbert space by the property of automorphism orbits among the domains that are not necessarily bounded. This generalizes the recent work of Kim and Krantz [6]. Key new features of this article include: a lower bound estimate of the Kobayashi metric and distance near a pluri-subharmonic peak boundary point of the domains in Banach spaces, an effective localization argument, and an improvement of weak-type convergence of sequences of biholomorphic mappings of domains in Banach spaces.     

Eigenfunctions of the Laplace operators for a building of type[(A)\tilde]2\tilde A_2

Let Δ be a thick affine building of type and of order q. We prove that each eigenfunction of the Laplace operators of Δ is the Poisson transform of a suitable finitely additive measure on the maximal boundary Ω.     

Singular integrals in the Cesàro sense

The existence of the singular integral ∫K(x, y)f(y)dy associated to a Calderón-Zygmund kernel where the integral is understood in the principal value sense TF(x)=lim_ε→0+∫_|x−y|>εK(x, y)f(y)dy has been well studied. In this paper we study the existence of the above integral in the Cesàro-α sense. More precisely, we study the existence of

Proof of the double bubble curvature conjecture

An area minimizing double bubble in ℝⁿ is given by two (not necessarily connected) regions which have two prescribed n-dimensional volumes whose combined boundary has least (n−1)-dimensional area. The double bubble theorem states that such an area minimizer is necessarily given by a standard double bubble, composed of three spherical caps. This has now been proven for n = 2, 3,4, but is, for general volumes, unknown for n ≥ 5. Here, for arbitrary n, we prove a conjectured lower bound on the mean curvature of a standard double bubble. This provides an alternative line of reasoning for part of the proof of the double bubble theorem in ℝ³, as well as some new component bounds in ℝⁿ.