Differentiable control metrics and scaled bump functions. (Q1609821)

The control metrics on a manifold \(M\) are defined by a family of vector fields \(X_1,\dots, X_p\) such that their iterated commutators span the tangent space and then the distance is the infimum of the time required to flow from one point to the other along absolutely continuous curves whose tangents, almost everywhere, are bounded linear combinations of the vector fields. Important classes of operators are described in terms of this control metric \(\rho\), however, any other metric \(\widetilde\rho\) such that the ratio \(\rho/\widetilde\rho\) is under control is also suitable. Since the control metric fail to be differentiable, the authors deal with the construction of smooth metrics \(\widetilde\rho\) and of the ``bump functions'' \(\varphi\) supported on small balls. The results are rather technical, we can state the local inequalities \[ | \partial^\alpha_x \partial^\beta_y\widetilde\rho(x, y)|\leq \widetilde\rho(x,y)^{1- d(K)- d(L)},\;|\partial^\alpha_x \partial^\beta_y\varphi_y(x)|\leq \delta^{-|\alpha|+ |\beta|} \] for the resulting metric and the bump function. Global smooth metrics are constructed on boundaries of pseudoconvex domains.