Sub-Finsler geometry in dimension three (Q864879)

A control system is usually presented in local coordinates as an undetermined system of ordinary differential equations \(\dot{X} = f(x,u)\), \(x\in \mathbb{R}^{n}\), \(u\in \mathbb{R}^{s}\). Many problems can be described by equations of the form \(\dot{X} = f(x)u\), where \(f(x)\) is a matrix. A sub-Finsler metric on a smooth distribution \(D\) of rank \(s\) on an \(n\)-dimensional manifold \({\mathcal X}\) is a smoothly varying Finsler metric on each subspace \(D_{x}\subset T_{x}{\mathcal X}\). A sub-Finsler manifold, denoted by the triple \(({\mathcal X},D,F)\), is a smooth \(n\)-dimensional manifold \({\mathcal X}\) equipped with a sub-Finsler metric \(F\) on a bracket-generating distribution \(D\) of rank \(s>0\). The review of sub-Riemannian geometry of \(3\)-manifolds, the Finsler geometry of subspaces, the sub-Finsler equivalence problem, the geodesics of sub-Finsler structure are given. Conditions ensuring that the horizontal curve \(\gamma : [a,b]\rightarrow {\mathcal X}\) is non-regular are determined. The Jacobi operator and the second variation are examined. It is proved that \(Q\) is equal to the number of conjugate points of \(J\), counted with multiplicity, where \(Q\) is a function which appears in the equation \[ J(u) = u^{IV}+\frac{d}{ds} (P\dot{u})+Qu . \] A symmetry of \(\Sigma \) is a diffeomorphism \(\phi : {\mathcal X}\rightarrow {\mathcal X}\) which satisfies \(\phi '(\Sigma ) = \Sigma \) where \(\Sigma \) is a sub-Finsler structure on \(({\mathcal X},D)\). It is proved that for any homogeneous sub-Finsler metric \(F\) on the Heisenberg group \({\mathcal X}\), the sub-Finsler geodesics are straight lines parallel to the \(xy\)-plane or liftings of simply closed curves in the \(xy\)-plane. In the latter case, simply closed curves are the curves of minimal Finsler arc length enclosing a given Euclidean area in the plane.