Free n-distributions: holonomy, sub-Riemannian structures, Fefferman constructions and dual distributions

arXiv0706.4441MaRDI QIDQ6206048FDOQ6206048

Authors: Stuart Armstrong 

Publication date: 29 June 2007

Abstract: This paper analyses the parabolic geometries generated by a free $n$-distribution in the tangent space of a manifold. It shows that certain holonomy reductions of the associated normal Tractor connections, imply preferred connections with special properties, along with Riemannian or sub-Riemannian structures on the manifold. It constructs examples of these holonomy reductions in the simplest cases. The main results, however, lie in the free 3-distributions. In these cases, there are normal Fefferman constructions over CR and Lagrangian contact structures corresponding to holonomy reductions to SO(4,2) and SO(3,3), respectively. There is also a fascinating construction of a `dual' distribution when the holonomy reduces to ${G_2}^{\prime }$.

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Linear and affine connections (53B05) Local Riemannian geometry (53B20) Vector distributions (subbundles of the tangent bundles) (58A30) Relations of PDEs with special manifold structures (Riemannian, Finsler, etc.) (58J60) Invariance and symmetry properties for PDEs on manifolds (58J70) Other connections (53B15) CR manifolds (32V99)

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