Cut locus and heat kernel at Grushin points of 2 dimensional almost Riemannian metrics

This article deals with 2d almost Riemannian structures, which are generalized Riemannian structures on manifolds of dimension 2. Such sub-Riemannian structures can be locally defined by a pair of vector fields (X,Y), playing the role of orthonormal frame, that may become colinear on some subset. We denote D = span(X,Y). After a short introduction, I first give a description of the local cut and conjugate loci at a Grushin point q (where Dq has dimension 1 and Dq = TqM) that makes appear that the cut locus may have an angle at q. In a second time I describe the local cut and conjugate loci at a Riemannian point x in a neighborhood of a Grushin point q. Finally, applying results of [6], I give the asymptotics in small time of the heat kernel p_t(x,y) for y in the same neighborhood of q

Existence of planar curves minimizing length and curvature

In this paper we consider the problem of reconstructing a curve that is partially hidden or corrupted by minimizing the functional $\int \sqrt{1+K_\gamma^2} ds$, depending both on length and curvature $K$. We fix starting and ending points as well as initial and final directions. For this functional we discuss the problem of existence of minimizers on various functional spaces. We find non-existence of minimizers in cases in which initial and final directions are considered with orientation. In this case, minimizing sequences of trajectories can converge to curves with angles. We instead prove existence of minimizers for the "time-reparameterized" functional \int \| \dot\gamma(t) \|\sqrt{1+K_\ga^2} dt for all boundary conditions if initial and final directions are considered regardless to orientation. In this case, minimizers can present cusps (at most two) but not angles

Normal forms and invariants for 2-dimensional almost-Riemannian structures

Two-dimensional almost-Riemannian structures are generalized Riemannian structures on surfaces for which a local orthonormal frame is given by a Lie bracket generating pair of vector fields that can become collinear. Generically, there are three types of points: Riemannian points where the two vector fields are linearly independent, Grushin points where the two vector fields are collinear but their Lie bracket is not, and tangency points where the two vector fields and their Lie bracket are collinear and the missing direction is obtained with one more bracket. In this paper we consider the problem of finding normal forms and functional invariants at each type of point. We also require that functional invariants are "complete" in the sense that they permit to recognize locally isometric structures. The problem happens to be equivalent to the one of finding a smooth canonical parameterized curve passing through the point and being transversal to the distribution. For Riemannian points such that the gradient of the Gaussian curvature $K$ is different from zero, we use the level set of $K$ as support of the parameterized curve. For Riemannian points such that the gradient of the curvature vanishes (and under additional generic conditions), we use a curve which is found by looking for crests and valleys of the curvature. For Grushin points we use the set where the vector fields are parallel. Tangency points are the most complicated to deal with. The cut locus from the tangency point is not a good candidate as canonical parameterized curve since it is known to be non-smooth. Thus, we analyse the cut locus from the singular set and we prove that it is not smooth either. A good candidate appears to be a curve which is found by looking for crests and valleys of the Gaussian curvature. We prove that the support of such a curve is uniquely determined and has a canonical parametrization

Stability of Planar Nonlinear Switched Systems

We consider the time-dependent nonlinear system $\dot q(t)=u(t)X(q(t))+(1-u(t))Y(q(t))$, where $q\in\R^2$, $X$ and $Y$ are two %$C^\infty$ smooth vector fields, globally asymptotically stable at the origin and $u:[0,\infty)\to\{0,1\}$ is an arbitrary measurable function. Analysing the topology of the set where $X$ and $Y$ are parallel, we give some sufficient and some necessary conditions for global asymptotic stability, uniform with respect to $u(.)$. Such conditions can be verified without any integration or construction of a Lyapunov function, and they are robust under small perturbations of the vector fields

Local properties of almost-Riemannian structures in dimension 3

A 3D almost-Riemannian manifold is a generalized Riemannian manifold defined locally by 3 vector fields that play the role of an orthonormal frame, but could become collinear on some set \Zz called the singular set. Under the Hormander condition, a 3D almost-Riemannian structure still has a metric space structure, whose topology is compatible with the original topology of the manifold. Almost-Riemannian manifolds were deeply studied in dimension 2. In this paper we start the study of the 3D case which appear to be reacher with respect to the 2D case, due to the presence of abnormal extremals which define a field of directions on the singular set. We study the type of singularities of the metric that could appear generically, we construct local normal forms and we study abnormal extremals. We then study the nilpotent approximation and the structure of the corresponding small spheres. We finally give some preliminary results about heat diffusion on such manifolds

The sphere and the cut locus at a tangency point in two-dimensional almost-Riemannian geometry

We study the tangential case in 2-dimensional almost-Riemannian geometry. We analyse the connection with the Martinet case in sub-Riemannian geometry. We compute estimations of the exponential map which allow us to describe the conjugate locus and the cut locus at a tangency point. We prove that this last one generically accumulates at the tangency point as an asymmetric cusp whose branches are separated by the singular set

Lipschitz classification of almost-Riemannian distances on compact oriented surfaces

International audienceTwo-dimensional almost-Riemannian structures are generalized Riemannian structures on surfaces for which a local orthonormal frame is given by a Lie bracket generating pair of vector fields that can become collinear. We consider the Carnot--Caratheodory distance canonically associated with an almost-Riemannian structure and study the problem of Lipschitz equivalence between two such distances on the same compact oriented surface. We analyse the generic case, allowing in particular for the presence of tangency points, i.e., points where two generators of the distribution and their Lie bracket are linearly dependent. The main result of the paper provides a characterization of the Lipschitz equivalence class of an almost-Riemannian distance in terms of a labelled graph associated with it

Search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu channel in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for the standard model Higgs boson in the H to ZZ to 2l 2nu decay channel, where l = e or mu, in pp collisions at a center-of-mass energy of 7 TeV is presented. The data were collected at the LHC, with the CMS detector, and correspond to an integrated luminosity of 4.6 inverse femtobarns. No significant excess is observed above the background expectation, and upper limits are set on the Higgs boson production cross section. The presence of the standard model Higgs boson with a mass in the 270-440 GeV range is excluded at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to JHE

Search for New Physics with Jets and Missing Transverse Momentum in pp collisions at sqrt(s) = 7 TeV

A search for new physics is presented based on an event signature of at least three jets accompanied by large missing transverse momentum, using a data sample corresponding to an integrated luminosity of 36 inverse picobarns collected in proton--proton collisions at sqrt(s)=7 TeV with the CMS detector at the LHC. No excess of events is observed above the expected standard model backgrounds, which are all estimated from the data. Exclusion limits are presented for the constrained minimal supersymmetric extension of the standard model. Cross section limits are also presented using simplified models with new particles decaying to an undetected particle and one or two jets