01347nas a2200133   4500008004300000245006300043210006300106260001300169520093400182100001701116700002301133700002101156856003601177       2010                        en_Ud  00aExistence of planar curves minimizing length and curvature0 aExistence of planar curves minimizing length and curvature  bSpringer3 aIn 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.\\nFor 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.\\nWe 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.1 aBoscain, Ugo1 aCharlot, Grégoire1 aRossi, Francesco  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/1963/410701299nas a2200109   4500008004300000245006000043210005600103520095600159100001701115700002101132856003601153       2010                        en_Ud  00aProjective Reeds-Shepp car on $S^2$ with quadratic cost0 aProjective ReedsShepp car on S2 with quadratic cost3 aFix two points $x,\\\\bar{x}\\\\in S^2$ and two directions (without orientation) $\\\\eta,\\\\bar\\\\eta$ of the velocities in these points. In this paper we are interested to the problem of minimizing the cost $$ J[\\\\gamma]=\\\\int_0^T g_{\\\\gamma(t)}(\\\\dot\\\\gamma(t),\\\\dot\\\\gamma(t))+\\nK^2_{\\\\gamma(t)}g_{\\\\gamma(t)}(\\\\dot\\\\gamma(t),\\\\dot\\\\gamma(t)) ~dt$$ along all smooth curves starting from $x$ with direction $\\\\eta$ and ending in $\\\\bar{x}$ with direction $\\\\bar\\\\eta$. Here $g$ is the standard Riemannian metric on $S^2$ and $K_\\\\gamma$ is the corresponding geodesic curvature.\\nThe interest of this problem comes from mechanics and geometry of vision. It can be formulated as a sub-Riemannian problem on the lens space L(4,1).\\nWe compute the global solution for this problem: an interesting feature is that some optimal geodesics present cusps. The cut locus is a stratification with non trivial topology.1 aBoscain, Ugo1 aRossi, Francesco  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/1963/266801520nas a2200133   4500008004300000245008600043210006900129520106500198100002501263700001701288700002401305700002101329856003601350       2009                        en_Ud  00aThe intrinsic hypoelliptic Laplacian and its heat kernel on unimodular Lie groups0 aintrinsic hypoelliptic Laplacian and its heat kernel on unimodul3 aWe present an invariant definition of the hypoelliptic Laplacian on sub-Riemannian structures with constant growth vector, using the Popp\\\'s volume form introduced by Montgomery. This definition generalizes the one of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in Riemannian geometry. In the case of left-invariant problems on unimodular Lie groups we prove that it coincides with the usual sum of squares.\\nWe then extend a method (first used by Hulanicki on the Heisenberg group) to compute explicitly the kernel of the hypoelliptic heat equation on any unimodular Lie group of type I. The main tool is the noncommutative Fourier transform. We then study some relevant cases: SU(2), SO(3), SL(2) (with the metrics inherited by the Killing form), and the group SE(2) of rototranslations of the plane.\\nOur study is motivated by some recent results about the cut and conjugate loci on these sub-Riemannian manifolds. The perspective is to understand how singularities of the sub-Riemannian distance reflect on the kernel of the corresponding hypoelliptic heat equation.1 aAgrachev, Andrei, A.1 aBoscain, Ugo1 aGauthier, Jean-Paul1 aRossi, Francesco  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/1963/266900870nas a2200109   4500008004300000245007800043210006900121520049600190100001700686700002100703856003600724       2008                        en_Ud  00aInvariant Carnot-Caratheodory metrics on S3, SO(3), SL(2) and Lens Spaces0 aInvariant CarnotCaratheodory metrics on S3 SO3 SL2 and Lens Spac3 aIn this paper we study the invariant Carnot-Caratheodory metrics on SU(2) \\\' S3,\\nSO(3) and SL(2) induced by their Cartan decomposition. Beside computing explicitly geodesics and conjugate loci, we compute the cut loci (globally) and we give the expression of the Carnot-Caratheodory distance as the inverse of an elementary function. We then prove that the metric\\ngiven on SU(2) projects on the so called Lens Spaces L(p; q). Also for Lens Spaces, we compute\\nthe cut loci (globally).1 aBoscain, Ugo1 aRossi, Francesco  uhttp://hdl.handle.net/1963/2144