Rank 5 trivializable Subriemannian structure on \(\mathbb{S}^7\) and subelliptic heat kernel (Q6587501)

The paper is concerned with the study of the heat kernel analysis of trivializable subriemannian structures (TSRS) on \({\mathbb S}^7\) induced by a Clifford module structure on \({\mathbb R}^8\). It provides an explicit heat kernel expression of the remaining TSRS of rank 5 in suitable coordinates, together with some applications. After a useful introduction to the problem and collecting and recalling some useful prior results (Section 2), the authors present their main results concerning the Popp measure, the nilpotentization of the induced subriemannian structure and the fact that the subriemannian isometry group acts transitively on \({\mathbb S}^7\) (Section 3). Then, by fixing a convenient set of generators of a Clifford algebra and choosing corresponding coordinates on \({\mathbb S}^7\) they explicitly calculate the heat kernel of the intrinsic sublaplacian for the rank 5 TSRS on \({\mathbb S}^7\) (Section 4). Finally, some applications of the heat kernel formula are presented such as the derivation of the spectrum and spectral zeta function of the intrinsic sublaplacian and an explicit formula for the fundamental solution of the conformal sublaplacian - based on an integral identity for modified Bessel functions (Sections 5 and 6).