On the Whitney extension property for continuously differentiable horizontal curves in sub-Riemannian manifolds (Q1751599)

A sub-Riemannian structure on a manifold \(M\) is characterized by a distribution \(\Delta\subset TM\), endowed with a norm that allows the measurement of the length of absolutely continuous curves tangent to \(\Delta\). Such curves are named \textit{horizontal}. The sub-Riemannian distance is defined as the minimal length of a horizontal curve connecting two points. It is therefore a sensible thing to test the extendability of regular horizontal curves on a sub-Riemannian structure. In the Euclidean case this property is the Whitney extension theorem for a map \(\gamma\) from a closed subset \(K\) of \(\mathbb{R}\) into \(\mathbb{R}^d\), \(d\in \mathbb{N}\), and the extendability holds if the variation of the jets of \(\gamma\) on \(K\) is compatible with Taylor's expansions. In this paper the authors study the Whitney extension theorem for \(C^1\) horizontal (designated from now on as \(C^1_H\) ) curves in sub-Riemannian manifolds. A useful intermediate ground for this problem is the extendability of \(C^1_H\) curves in Carnot groups. There are several papers that establish important positive answers in this case. For example, it has been proved that the property holds if and only if the group is pliable [\textit{N. Juillet} and the second author, Anal. PDE 10, No. 7, 1637--1661 (2017; Zbl 1372.22009)]. The authors enlarge the analysis from Carnot groups to general sub-Riemannian manifolds (not necessarily equiregular). They start by providing a suitable definition of the \(C^1_H\) extension property in sub-Riemannian manifolds equiregular (Section 3), which is independent of the choice of the frame, this is possible because \(C^1_H\) curves admit an intrinsic first-order Taylor expansion with uniform remainder, evaluated with respect to the sub-Riemannian distance. In order to extend the definition to general sub-Riemannian manifolds the authors introduce forward and backward \(C^1_H\)-Whitney conditions. These conditions turn out to be equivalent to the original \(C^1_H\)-Whitney on equiregular manifolds and they can be recast in terms of nilpotent approximations of the sub-Riemannian structure. These approximations will be useful in providing the definition of the \(C^1_H\)-Whitney condition in the general case and to prove that the \(C^1_H\) extension property is inherited by the projection of an equiregular lift. In Section 4 the authors prove a sufficient condition for the \(C^1_H\) extension property in terms of strong pliability. Strong pliability is always satisfied at regular values of the endpoint map and can be investigated through second order conditions at critical points. The authors use uniform estimates for the nilpotent approximations to prove that strong pliability implies the \(C^1_H\) extension property for equiregular sub-Riemannian manifolds. The authors are then able to prove that all step-2 sub-Riemannian manifolds have the \(C^1_H\) extension property. In Section 5 the authors show an application of the \(C^1_H\) extension property, proving that it implies the Lusin approximation of horizontal curves, which can be used to characterize 1-rectifiability. The article includes in Section 2 some basic definitions and properties in sub-Riemannian geometry as well as important tools needed afterwards.