Lazy orbits: an optimization problem on the sphere

DOI10.1016/J.GEOMPHYS.2017.10.018zbMATH Open1387.51007arXiv1709.06410OpenAlexW2754808274MaRDI QIDQ1742273FDOQ1742273

Authors: Csaba Vincze 

Publication date: 11 April 2018

Published in: Journal of Geometry and Physics (Search for Journal in Brave)

Abstract: Non-transitive subgroups of the orthogonal group play an important role in the non-Euclidean geometry. If $G$ is a closed subgroup in the orthogonal group such that the orbit of a single Euclidean unit vector does not cover the (Euclidean) unit sphere centered at the origin then there always exists a non-Euclidean Minkowski functional such that the elements of $G$ preserve the Minkowskian length of vectors. In other words the Minkowski geometry is an alternative of the Euclidean geometry for the subgroup $G$. It is rich of isometries if $G$ is "close enough" to the orthogonal group or at least to one of its transitive subgroups. The measure of non-transitivity is related to the Hausdorff distances of the orbits under the elements of $G$ to the Euclidean sphere. Its maximum/minimum belongs to the so-called lazy/busy orbits, i.e. they are the solutions of an optimization problem on the Euclidean sphere. The extremal distances allow us to characterize the reducible/irreducible subgroups. We also formulate an upper and a lower bound for the ratio of the extremal distances. As another application of the analytic tools we introduce the rank of a closed non-transitive group $G$. We shall see that if $G$ is of maximal rank then it is finite or reducible. Since the reducible and the finite subgroups form two natural prototypes of non-transitive subgroups, the rank seems to be a fundamental notion in their characterization. Closed, non-transitive groups of rank $n-1$ will be also characterized. Using the general results we classify all their possible types in lower dimensional cases $n=2,3$ and $4$. Finally we present some applications of the results to the holonomy group of a metric linear connection on a connected Riemannian manifold.

Full work available at URL: https://arxiv.org/abs/1709.06410

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zbMATH Keywords

Hausdorff distanceorthogonal grouporbitsnon-transitive subgroups

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Inequalities and extremum problems involving convexity in convex geometry (52A40) Minkowski geometries in nonlinear incidence geometry (51B20)

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Cited In (3)

• On compatible linear connections of two-dimensional generalized Berwald manifolds: a classical approach
• On the divergence representation of the Gauss curvature of Riemannian surfaces and its applications
• On compatible linear connections with totally anti-symmetric torsion tensor of three-dimensional generalized Berwald manifolds

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