On the stabilization problem for nonholonomic distributions L. Rifford? E. Trelat† Abstract Let M be a smooth connected and complete manifold of dimension n, and ∆ be a smooth nonholonomic distribution of rank m ≤ n on M . We prove that, if there exists a smooth Riemannian metric on ∆ for which no nontrivial singular path is minimizing, then there exists a smooth repulsive stabilizing section of ∆ onM . Moreover, in dimension three, the assumption of the absence of singular minimizing horizontal paths can be dropped in the Martinet case. The proofs are based on the study, using specific results of nonsmooth analysis, of an optimal control problem of Bolza type, for which we prove that the cor- responding value function is semiconcave and is a viscosity solution of a Hamilton-Jacobi equation, and establish fine properties of optimal trajectories. 1 Introduction Throughout this paper, M denotes a smooth connected manifold of dimension n. 1.1 Stabilization of nonholonomic distributions Let ∆ be a smooth distribution of rankm ≤ n onM , that is, a rankm subbundle of the tangent bundle TM of M . This means that, for every x ? M , there exist a neighborhood Vx of x in M , and a m-tuple (fx1 , . . . , f x m) of smooth vector fields on Vx, linearly independent on Vx, such that ∆(y) = Span {fx1 (y), .
- unique smooth function
- smooth metric
- distribution ∆ associated
- let x¯ ?
- abstract let
- point mapping
- conjugate locus
- distribution ∆
- minimizing beyond
- singular path