Marek Grochowski

Invariants and Infinitesimal Transformations for Contact Sub-Lorentzian Structures on 3-Dimensional Manifolds

In this article we develop some elementary aspects of a theory of symmetry in sub-Lorentzian geometry. First of all we construct invariants characterizing isometric classes of sub-Lorentzian contact 3 manifolds. Next we characterize vector fields which generate isometric and conformal symmetries in general sub-Lorentzian manifolds. We then focus attention back to the case where the underlying manifold is a contact 3 manifold and more specifically when the manifold is also a Lie group and the structure is left-invariant.

Normal forms for sub-Lorentzian metrics supported on Engel type distributions

Abstract We construct normal forms for Lorentzian metrics on Engel distributions under the assumption that abnormal curves are timelike future directed Hamiltonian geodesics. Then we indicate some cases in which the abnormal timelike future directed curve initiating at the origin is geometrically optimal. We also give certain estimates for reachable sets from a point.