On Gromov's theory of rigid transformation groups: A dual approach

In this survey, we present a geometric description of Lagrangian and Hamiltonian Mechanics on Lie algebroids. The flexibility of the Lie algebroid formalism allows us to analyze systems subject to nonholonomic constraints, mechanical control systems, Discrete Mechanics and extensions to Classical Field Theory within a single framework. Various examples along the discussion illustrate the soundness of the approach.

Lecture notes of a short course on geometric control theory given in Brasov, Romania (August 2018) and in Jyv\"askyl\"a, Finland (February 2019).

By using a Borel density theorem for algebraic quotients, we prove a theorem concerning isometric actions of a Lie group $G$ on a smooth or analytic manifold $M$ with a rigid $\mathrm{A}$-structure $\sigma$. It generalizes Gromov's centralizer and representation theorems to the case where $R(G)$ is split solvable and $G/R(G)$ has no compact factors, strengthens a special case of Gromov's open dense orbit theorem, and implies that for smooth $M$ and simple $G$, if Gromov's rep...

Geometric mechanics is usually studied in applied mathematics and most introductory texts are hence aimed at a mathematically minded audience. The present note tries to provide the intuition of geometric mechanics and to show the relevance of the subject for an understanding of "mechanics".

In structural rigidity, one studies frameworks of bars and joints in Euclidean space. Such a framework is an articulated structure consisting of rigid bars, joined together at joints around which the bars may rotate. In this paper, we will describe articulated motions of realisations of incidence geometries that uses the terminology of graph of groups, and describe the motions of such a framework using group theory. Our approach allows to model a variety of situations, such a...

These lecture notes in Lie Groups are designed for a 1--semester third year or graduate course in mathematics, physics, engineering, chemistry or biology. This landmark theory of the 20th Century mathematics and physics gives a rigorous foundation to modern dynamics, as well as field and gauge theories in physics, engineering and biomechanics. We give both physical and medical examples of Lie groups. The only necessary background for comprehensive reading of these notes are a...

We discuss the local and global problems for the equivalence of geometric structures of an arbitrary order and, in later sections, attention is given to what really matters, namely the equivalence with respect to transformations belonging to a given pseudo-group of transformations. We first give attention to general prolongation spaces and thereafter insert the structures in their most appropriate ambient namely, as specific solutions of partial differential equations where t...

We consider a family of Riemannian manifolds M such that for each unit speed geodesic gamma of M there exists a distinguished bijective correspondence L between infinitesimal translations along gamma and infinitesimal rotations around it. The simplest examples are R^3, S^3 and hyperbolic 3-space, with L defined in terms of the cross product. More generally, M is a connected compact semisimple Lie group, or its non-compact dual, or Euclidean space acted on transitively by some...

The aim of this paper is to explain, mostly through examples, what groupoids are and how they describe symmetry. We will begin with elementary examples, with discrete symmetry, and end with examples in the differentiable setting which involve Lie groupoids and their corresponding infinitesimal objects, Lie algebroids.

This article investigates a few questions about orbits of local automorphisms in manifolds endowed with rigid geometric structures. We give sufficient conditions for local homogeneity in a broad class of such structures, namely Cartan geometries, extending a classical result of Singer about locally homogeneous Riemannian manifolds. We also revisit a strong result of Gromov which describes the structure of the orbits of local automorphisms of manifolds endowed with $A$-rigid s...