Measure contraction properties for two-step analytic sub-Riemannian structures and Lipschitz Carnot groups (Q2027768)

Suppose \((\Delta , g)\) is a sub-Riemannian structure on a manifold \(M\) and \(\mu\) is a measure which is absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure \(\mathcal{L}^n\) (where the Lebesgue measure is considered on charts of \(M\)). Suppose also that, for any \(x \in M\), there is a measurable set \(\mathcal{C}(x) \subset M\) and a measurable map \(\gamma_x:(M \setminus \mathcal{C}(x)) \times [0,1] \to M\) such that \[ \mathcal{L}^n(\mathcal{C}(x)) = 0 \] and, for any \(y \in M \setminus \mathcal{C}(x)\), the curve \[ s \mapsto \gamma_x(y,s) \] is the unique minimizing geodesic from \(x\) to \(y\). (We say, in this case, that \(M\) has \textit{negligible cut loci}.) Such a sub-Riemannian manifold \((M,\Delta,g)\) with measure \(\mu\) is said to satisfy the measure contraction property \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,N)\) for some \(N>1\) if, for every \(x \in M\) and every measurable set \(A \subset M \setminus \mathcal{C}(x)\) with \(0 < \mu(A) < \infty\), the \(s\)-interpolation of \(A\) from \(x\) defined as \[ A_s = \{ \gamma_x(y,s) : y \in A \setminus \mathcal{C}(x) \} \quad \forall s \in [0,1] \] satisfies \[ \mu(A_s) \geq s^N \mu(A). \] Previously, \textit{N. Juillet} verified that the \(n\)th sub-Riemannian Heisenberg group satisfies \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,2n+3)\) [Int. Math. Res. Not. 2009, No. 13, 2347--2373 (2009; Zbl 1176.53053)], and the exponent \(2n+3\) is strict. Since then, \textit{L. Rifford} showed that any ideal Carnot group satisfies \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,N)\) for some \(N>1\) [Math. Control Relat. Fields 3, No. 4, 467--487 (2013; Zbl 1275.53034)], \textit{L. Rizzi} proved that any co-rank 1 Carnot group of dimension \(k+1\) satisfies \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,k+3)\) [Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 55, No. 3, Paper No. 60, 20 p. (2016; Zbl 1352.53026)], and \textit{D. Barilari} and \textit{L. Rizzi} verified that any \(H\)-type Carnot group of rank \(k\) and dimension \(n\) satisfies \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,k+3(n-k))\) [Commun. Contemp. Math. 20, No. 6, Article ID 1750081, 24 p. (2018; Zbl 1398.53038)]. The paper under review follows the example of Rifford to verify \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,N)\) on other classes of sub-Riemannian manifolds. In particular, if \(M\) is compact and analytic, \(\Delta\) and \(g\) are both analytic on \(M\), and \(\mu\) is locally defined by a positive, smooth density times \(\mathcal{L}^n\), then \((M,\Delta,g,\mu)\) satisfies \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,N)\) for some \(N>0\) (Theorem 1.3). Moreover, if \((M,\Delta,g)\) is a Carnot group such that \(\Delta\) is equipped with a left invariant metric, the geodesic distance is locally Lipschitz (outside the diagonal), and \(\mu\) is the Haar measure, then the authors show that \((M,\Delta,g,\mu)\) satisfies \(\operatorname{MCP}(0,N)\) for some \(N>0\) (Theorem 1.4.). The main methods in this paper follow from the observation that the property \(\operatorname{MCP}(0, N)\) is equivalent to the existence of an upper bound on the divergence of the horizontal gradient of the squared, pointed sub-Riemannian distance (Propositions 2.5 and 2.6.).