Universal differentiability sets and maximal directional derivatives in Carnot groups (Q1633072)

Let \(\mathbb{G}\) be a Carnot group of step 2, equipped in the usual way with a left-invariant Carnot-Carathéodory (CC) distance \(d\) defined by some basis of left-invariant vector fields for the first step \(V_1\) of the stratification of the Lie algebra. The main result of this paper is that there exists a set \(N \subset \mathbb{G}\) of Hausdorff dimension 1, such that every Lipschitz function \(f : \mathbb{G} \to \mathbb{R}\) is Pansu differentiable at some point of \(N\). Here, we say \(f\) is Pansu differentiable at \(x\) if there exists a ``\(\mathbb{G}\)-linear'' map \(L : \mathbb{G} \to \mathbb{R}\), i.e. satisfying \(L(xy) = L(x) + L(y)\) and \(L(\delta_r(x)) = rL(x)\) where \(\delta_r\) is the dilation of \(\mathbb{G}\), for which \[ \lim_{y \to x} \frac{|f(y) - f(x) - L(x^{-1}y)|}{d(x,y)} = 0. \] The authors call such a set \(N\) a \textit{universal differentiability set (UDS)}. This result may be seen as a sharpening of a version of Rademacher's theorem due to \textit{P. Pansu} [Ann. Math. (2) 129, No. 1, 1--60 (1989; Zbl 0678.53042)], which says that a Lipschitz function \(f\) is Pansu differentiable almost everywhere, or in other words that every set of positive Lebesgue measure is a UDS. The authors apply techniques used in [the last two authors, Math. Ann. 368, No. 1--2, 233--278 (2017; Zbl 1375.26024)], which established this result for the Heisenberg group. An important step is to show that the CC distance \(d\) is differentiable in horizontal directions; that is, Pansu differentiable at each point \(u = \exp E\) where \(E \in V_1\). This property is shown to be equivalent to the statement that if, at some point \(x \in \mathbb{G}\), a function \(f\) has a directional derivative which is ``maximal'' in that it equals the Lipschitz constant of \(f\), then \(f\) is Pansu differentiable at \(x\). The proof of the main result focuses on the case when \(\mathbb{G}\) is a free Carnot group of step 2; the general case then follows by considering quotients. The authors also consider the possibility of extending the result to Carnot groups of step 3 and higher. The authors show that in the Engel group (which has step 3), the CC distance is not differentiable in horizontal directions, and so their proof technique cannot be applied in this case. As such, it remains open whether the main result is true in Carnot groups of higher step.