The Sard conjecture on Martinet surfaces

Given a totally nonholonomic distribution of rank two on a three-dimensional manifold we investigate the size of the set of points that can be reached by singular horizontal paths starting from a same point. In this setting, the Sard conjecture states that that set should be a subset of the so-called Martinet surface of 2-dimensional Hausdorff measure zero. We prove that the conjecture holds in the case where the Martinet surface is smooth. Moreover, we address the case of singular real-analytic Martinet surfaces and show that the result holds true under an assumption of non-transversality of the distribution on the singular set of the Martinet surface. Our methods rely on the control of the divergence of vector fields generating the trace of the distribution on the Martinet surface and some techniques of resolution of singularities.Comment: 4 figure

Generalized Flow-Box property for singular foliations

We introduce a notion of generalized Flow-Box property valid for general singular distributions and sub-varieties (based on a dynamical interpretation). Just as in the usual Flow-Box Theorem, we characterize geometrical and algebraic conditions of (quasi) transversality in order for an analytic sub-variety $X$ (not necessarily regular) to be a section of a line foliation. We also discuss the case of more general foliations. This study is originally motivated by a question of Jean-Francois Mattei (concerning the strengthening of a Theorem of Mattei) about the existence of local slices for a (non-compact) Lie group action.Comment: Changes in Section

Inner geometry of complex surfaces: a valuative approach

Given a complex analytic germ $(X, 0)$ in $(\mathbb C^n, 0)$, the standard Hermitian metric of $\mathbb C^n$ induces a natural arc-length metric on $(X, 0)$, called the inner metric. We study the inner metric structure of the germ of an isolated complex surface singularity $(X,0)$ by means of an infinite family of numerical analytic invariants, called inner rates. Our main result is a formula for the Laplacian of the inner rate function on a space of valuations, the non-archimedean link of $(X,0)$. We deduce in particular that the global data consisting of the topology of $(X,0)$, together with the configuration of a generic hyperplane section and of the polar curve of a generic plane projection of $(X,0)$, completely determine all the inner rates on $(X,0)$, and hence the local metric structure of the germ. Several other applications of our formula are discussed in the paper.Comment: Proposition 5.3 strengthened, exposition improved, some typos corrected, references updated. 42 pages and 10 figures. To appear in Geometry & Topolog