In Cartan’s PhD thesis, there is a formula defining a certain rank 8 vector distribution in dimension 15, whose algebra of authomorphism is the split real form of the simple exceptional complex Lie algebra $\mathfrak {f}_4$. Cartan’s formula is written in the standard Cartesian coordinates in $\mathbb {R}^{15}$. In the present paper, we explain how to find analogous formulae for the flat models of any bracket generating distribution $\mathcal D$ whose symbol algebra $\mathfrak {n}({\mathcal D})$ is constant and 2-step graded, $\mathfrak {n}({\mathcal D})=\mathfrak {n}_{-2}\oplus \mathfrak {n}_{-1}$.

The formula is given in terms of a solution to a certain system of linear algebraic equations determined by two representations $(\rho ,\mathfrak {n}_{-1})$ and $(\tau ,\mathfrak {n}_{-2})$ of a Lie algebra $\mathfrak {n}_{00}$ contained in the $0$th order Tanaka prolongation $\mathfrak {n}_0$ of $\mathfrak {n}({\mathcal D})$.

Numerous examples are provided, with particular emphasis put on the distributions with symmetries being real forms of simple exceptional Lie algebras $\mathfrak {f}_4$ and $\mathfrak {e}_6$.

We introduce the concept of extrinsic catenary in the hyperbolic plane. Working in the hyperboloid model, we define an extrinsic catenary as the shape of a curve hanging under its weight as seen from the ambient space. In other words, an extrinsic catenary is a critical point of the potential functional, where we calculate the potential with the extrinsic distance to a fixed reference plane in the ambient Lorentzian space. We then characterize extrinsic catenaries in terms of their curvature and as a solution to a prescribed curvature problem involving certain vector fields. In addition, we prove that the generating curve of any minimal surface of revolution in the hyperbolic space is an extrinsic catenary with respect to an appropriate reference plane. Finally, we prove that one of the families of extrinsic catenaries admits an intrinsic characterization if we replace the extrinsic distance with the intrinsic length of horocycles orthogonal to a reference geodesic.

This note is motivated by recent studies by Eriksson-Bique and Soultanis about the construction of charts in general metric measure spaces. We analyze their construction and provide an alternative and simpler proof of the fact that these charts exist on sets of finite Hausdorff dimension. The observation made here offers also some simplification about the study of the relation between the reference measure and the charts in the setting of $\text {RCD}$ spaces.

Many authors define an isometry of a metric space to be a distance-preserving map of the space onto itself. In this note, we discuss spaces for which surjectivity is a consequence of the distance-preserving property rather than an initial assumption. These spaces include, for example, the three classical (Euclidean, spherical, and hyperbolic) geometries of constant curvature that are usually discussed independently of each other. In this partly expository paper, we explore basic ideas about the isometries of a metric space, and apply these to various familiar metric geometries.

We study the classical Rosenthal–Szasz inequality for a plane whose geometry is determined by a norm. This inequality states that the bodies of constant width have the largest perimeter among all planar convex bodies of given diameter. In the case where the unit circle of the norm is given by a Radon curve, we obtain an inequality which is completely analogous to the Euclidean case. For arbitrary norms we obtain an upper bound for the perimeter calculated in the anti-norm, yielding an analogous characterisation of all curves of constant width. To derive these results, we use methods from the differential geometry of curves in normed planes.

The present paper gives an example of a rigid spherical cone-manifold and that of a flexible one, which are both Seifert fibred.

An extension of a result of Sela shows that if Γ is a torsion-free word hyperbolic group, then the only homomorphisms Γ→Γ with finite-index image are the automorphisms. It follows from this result and properties of quasiregular mappings, that if M is a closed Riemannian n-manifold with negative sectional curvature (), then every quasiregular mapping f:M→M is a homeomorphism. In the constant-curvature case the dimension restriction is not necessary and Mostow rigidity implies that f is homotopic to an isometry. This is to be contrasted with the fact that every such manifold admits a non-homeomorphic light open self-mapping. We present similar results for more general quotients of hyperbolic space and quasiregular mappings between them. For instance, we establish that besides covering projections there are no π1-injective proper quasiregular mappings f:M→N between hyperbolic 3-manifolds M and N with non-elementary fundamental group.

Some geometrical properties associated to the contact of submanifolds with hyperhorospheres in hyperbolic $n$-space are studied as an application of the theory of Legendrian singularities.

The geometry of indicatrices is the foundation of Minkowski geometry. A strongly convex indicatrix in a vector space is a strongly convex hypersurface. It admits a Riemannian metric and has a distinguished invariant—(Cartan) torsion. We prove the existence of non-trivial strongly convex indicatrices with vanishing mean torsion and discuss the relationship between the mean torsion and the Riemannian curvature tensor for indicatrices of Randers type.

Si M est une variété riemannienne de dimension n, n ≧ 2, et de métrique g on s'intéresse au problème: trouver toutes les fonctions régulières F : M → IR qui sont valeurs propres ainsi que leur carré de l'opérateur de Laplace-Beltrami, Δ, associé à g.