Invertible Carnot groups (Q483944)

Let \(\mathbb{G}\) be a Carnot group. Then its Lie algebra is stratified: it has a decomposition \(\text{Lie}(\mathbb{G}) = V_1 \oplus \cdots \oplus V_n\), where \([V_j, V_1] = V_{j+1}\). Let \(\mathbb{G}\) be equipped with a left-invariant sub-Riemannian metric whose horizontal distribution is given by \(V_1\); since \(V_1\) is bracket-generating, such a geometry induces a sub-Riemannian distance \(d\) on \(\mathbb{G}\), also known as the Carnot-Carathéodory distance. The first main result of this paper is that the metric space \((\mathbb{G}, d)\) admits a \(1\)-quasiconformal metric inversion (as defined below) if and only if \(\mathbb{G}\) is isomorphic to a generalized Heisenberg group: a Heisenberg group over either the real numbers, complex numbers, quaternions or octonions. (In particular, such a group is either abelian or is of step 2 with a center of dimension 1, 3 or 7.) Here, a metric inversion can be seen as a sort of generalization of the Möbius inversions of the complex plane \(\mathbb{C}\), and \(1\)-quasiconformality is a metric-space generalization of the corresponding notion for \(\mathbb{C}\), limiting the ability of the inversion to locally distort the metric. (See the paper for the full definitions, which are too involved to include in this review.) An important fact about Carnot groups is that, except in the trivial abelian case, they are fractal: their topological and Hausdorff dimensions are different. The second main result of this paper observes that this property is essential in order for there to be any chance to admit a metric inversion. Specifically, the author considers the condition of inversion-invariant bi-Lipschitz homogeneity, which for an unbounded bi-Lipschitz homogeneous metric space (such as a nilpotent Lie group with a left-invariant metric) is equivalent to the existence of a metric inversion. It is shown that if \(X\) is a connected non-fractal metric space which is proper (balls have compact closure) and inversion-invariant bi-Lipschitz homogeneous, then it is bi-Lipschitz equivalent to \(\mathbb{R}^n\) or \(\mathbb{S}^n\).