Graph surfaces on five-dimensional sub-Lorentzian structures (Q2360266)

In \(\mathbb{R}^5\) consider the vector fields \[ \begin{aligned} X_1 &= \partial_{x_1} + \frac{x_2}{2}\partial_{x_3} + \frac{x_4}{2}\partial_{x_5},\\ X_2 &= \partial_{x_2} - \frac{x_1}{2}\partial_{x_3},\\ X_3 &= -\partial_{x_3},\\ X_4 &= \partial_{x_4} - \frac{x_1}{2}\partial_{x_5},\\ X_5 &= -\partial_{x_5}. \end{aligned} \] A sub-Lorentzian structure on \(\mathbb{R}^5\) is a norm \(\mathbf{d}^{SL}_{\infty}\) on the tangent bundle given by \[ \mathbf{d}^{SL}_{\infty}(\sum_{i=1}^5 x_iX_i) = \max\{\max\{x_1^2,x_2^2\}-x_4^2,|x_3|-|x_5|\}. \] A surface in \(\mathbb{R}^5\) is called space-like if \(\mathbf{d}^{SL}_{\infty}(V(x_0))\) for all \(x_0\) on the surface and all vectors \(V(x_0)\) tangent to the surface at \(x_0\). In the paper under review, the author studies such surfaces and determines their differential properties. The main result of this work is Theorem 37 which establishes an area formula for codimension-2 space-like surfaces.