In the present paper we study the rigidity of 2-step Carnot groups, or equivalently, of graded 2-step nilpotent Lie algebras. We prove the alternative that depending on bi-dimensions of the algebra, the Lie algebra structure makes it either always of infinite type or generically rigid, and we specify the bi-dimensions for each of the choices. Explicit criteria for rigidity of pseudo Hand <i>J</i>-type ...

We give a detailed study of dynamical properties of the Zhang model, including evaluation of topological entropy and estimates for the Lyapunov exponents and the dimension of the attractor. In the thermodynamic limit the entropy goes to zero and the Lyapunov spectrum collapses.1

The topological entropy of piecewise affine maps is studied. It is shown that singularities may contribute to the entropy only if there is angular expansion and we bound the entropy via the expansion rates of the map. As a corollary we deduce that non-expanding conformal piecewise affine maps have zero topological entropy. We estimate the entropy of piecewise affine skew-products. Examples of ...

We construct the simplest chaotic system with a two-point attractor.

The group of area preserving diffeomorphisms showed importance in the problems of self-dual gravity and integrability theory. We discuss how representations of this infinite-dimensional Lie group can arise in mathematical physics from pure local considerations. Then using Lie algebra extensions and cohomology we derive the second Plebański equation and its geometry. We do not use Kähler or other ...

The infinitesimal symmetry algebra of any Cartan geometry has maximum dimension realized by the flat model, but often this dimension drops significantly when considering non-flat geometries, so a gap phenomenon arises. For general (regular, normal) parabolic geometries of type (G,P), we use Tanaka theory to derive a universal upper bound on the submaximal symmetry dimension. We use Kostant’s version ...

We compute the Hilbert polynomial and the Poincar´e function counting the number of fixed jet-order differential invariants of conformal metric structures modulo local diffeomorphisms, and we describe the field of rational differential invariants separating generic orbits of the diffeomorphism pseudogroup action. This resolves the local recognition problem for conformal structures.

We investigate a class of multi-dimensional two-component systems of Monge-Ampère type that can be viewed as generalisations of heavenly type equations appearing in a self-dual Ricci-flat geometry. Based on the Jordan-Kronecker theory of the skew-symmetric matrix pencils, a classification of normal forms of such systems is obtained. All two-component systems of Monge-Ampère type turn out to be ...

We consider the equivalence problem for symplectic and conformal symplectic group actions on submanifolds and functions of symplectic and contact linear spaces. This is solved by computing differential invariants via the Lie-Tresse theorem.

We discuss rank 2 sub-Riemannian structures on low-dimensional manifolds and prove that some of these structures in dimensions 6, 7 and 8 have a maximal amount of symmetry but no integrals polynomial in momenta of low degrees, except for those coming from the Killing vector fields and the Hamiltonian, thus indicating nonintegrability of the corresponding geodesic flows.