Small time Gaussian estimates of heat diffusion kernels. II: The theory of large deviations (Q748998)

The paper continues the author's work [part I, Bull. Sci. Math., II. Ser. 113, No.3, 253-277 (1989; Zbl 0703.58052)]. It is devoted to the study of the heat kernel of certain classes of second order subelliptic operators. Depending on the structure of the operator under consideration one can associate with the operator a certain anisotropic metric [see \textit{C. L. Fefferman} and \textit{D. H. Phong}, Harmonic analysis, Conf. in Honor A. Zygmund, Chicago 1981, Vol. 2, 590-606 (1983; Zbl 0503.35071)] and \textit{A. Nagel}, \textit{E. M. Stein}, and \textit{S. Waigner}, Acta Math. 155, 103- 147 (1985; Zbl 0578.32044)]. Lower and upper bounds for the heat kernels mentioned above are given by means of the metrics. The results are proved (partly) by using probabilistic technics [see \textit{S. R. S. Varadhan}, `Large deviation and applications', CBMS-NSF Reg. Conf. Ser. Appl. Math. 46, 75 p. (1984; Zbl 0549.60023)].