On gradients of functions definable in o-minimal structures (Q1266237)

The well known Lojasiewicz inequality \((\|\text{grad} f\|>f^\alpha\), \(\alpha<1\), in short \(L\)-inequality) concerns real analytic functions \(f\) in a neighborhood of a point \(a\in R^n\), \(f(a)=0\). A trajectory of the vector field \(-\text{grad} f\) is defined as a maximal differentiable curve \(\gamma\) verifying \(\gamma'(t)=-\text{grad} f(\gamma(s))\). Lojasiewicz proved that all trajectories of \(-\text{grad} f\) are of finite length, when \(f\) is real analytic in a neighborhood of a compact \(U\). The notion of ``\(o\)-minimal structure on the real field'' describes abstractly [see \textit{L. Van den Dries} and \textit{C. Miller}, Duke Math. J. 84, No. 2, 497-540 (1996; Zbl 0889.03025)] different kinds of geometric categories of sets which appear in semialgebraic and subanalytic geometries. For instance \((R\), exp)-definable sets define a ``\(o\)-minimal structure'' (theorem of Wilkie). Actually the generalizations of the \(L\)-inequality for ``\(o\)-minimal structures'' is of great interest. In this paper a new \(o\)-minimal version of the \(L\)-inequality is obtained. A study of all trajectories of \(-\text{grad} f\) is given too, proving the theorem that the length of mentioned trajectories is bounded by a constant independent of the trajectory. Another interesting author's result says that the flow of \(-\text{grad} g\) with a non negative definable \(g\), determines a deformation retract onto \(g^{-1}(0)\).