Gaussian processes, kinematic formulae and Poincar\'e's limit

We consider vector valued, unit variance Gaussian processes defined over stratified manifolds and the geometry of their excursion sets. In particular, we develop an explicit formula for the expectation of all the Lipschitz--Killing curvatures of these sets. Whereas our motivation is primarily probabilistic, with statistical applications in the background, this formula has also an interpretation as a version of the classic kinematic fundamental formula of integral geometry. All of these aspects are developed in the paper. Particularly novel is the method of proof, which is based on a an approximation to the canonical Gaussian process on the $n$-sphere. The $n\to\infty$ limit, which gives the final result, is handled via recent extensions of the classic Poincar\'e limit theorem.Comment: Published in at http://dx.doi.org/10.1214/08-AOP439 the Annals of Probability (http://www.imstat.org/aop/) by the Institute of Mathematical Statistics (http://www.imstat.org

Expected volume and Euler characteristic of random submanifolds

In a closed manifold of positive dimension $n$, we estimate the expected volume and Euler characteristic for random submanifolds of codimension $r\in \{1,...,n\}$ in two different settings. On one hand, we consider a closed Riemannian manifold and some positive $\lambda$. Then we take $r$ independent random functions in the direct sum of the eigenspaces of the Laplace-Beltrami operator associated to eigenvalues less than $\lambda$ and consider the random submanifold defined as the common zero set of these $r$ functions. We compute asymptotics for the mean volume and Euler characteristic of this random submanifold as $\lambda$ goes to infinity. On the other hand, we consider a complex projective manifold defined over the reals, equipped with an ample line bundle $\mathcal{L}$ and a rank $r$ holomorphic vector bundle $\mathcal{E}$ that are also defined over the reals. Then we get asymptotics for the expected volume and Euler characteristic of the real vanishing locus of a random real holomorphic section of $\mathcal{E}\otimes\mathcal{L}^d$ as $d$ goes to infinity. The same techniques apply to both settings.Comment: Final version, accepted for publication in J. Funct. Anal., 50 pages.A change in notational convention impacts the statement of the main theorems and most formula

Counting arcs in negative curvature

Let M be a complete Riemannian manifold with negative curvature, and let C_-, C_+ be two properly immersed closed convex subsets of M. We survey the asymptotic behaviour of the number of common perpendiculars of length at most s from C_- to C_+, giving error terms and counting with weights, starting from the work of Huber, Herrmann, Margulis and ending with the works of the authors. We describe the relationship with counting problems in circle packings of Kontorovich, Oh, Shah. We survey the tools used to obtain the precise asymptotics (Bowen-Margulis and Gibbs measures, skinning measures). We describe several arithmetic applications, in particular the ones by the authors on the asymptotics of the number of representations of integers by binary quadratic, Hermitian or Hamiltonian forms.Comment: Revised version, 44 page