We study logarithmic Sobolev inequalities with respect to a heat kernel measure on finite-dimensional and infinite-dimensional Heisenberg groups. Such a group is the simplest non-trivial example of a sub-Riemannian manifold. First we consider logarithmic Sobolev inequalities on non-isotropic Heisenberg groups. These inequalities are considered with respect to the hypoelliptic heat kernel measure, and we show that the logarithmic Sobolev constants can be chosen to be independent of the dimenson of the underlying space. In this setting, a natural Laplacian is not an elliptic but a hypoelliptic operator. The argument relies on comparing logarithmic Sobolev constants for the three-dimensional non-isotropic and isotropic Heisenberg groups, and tensorization of logarithmic Sobolev inequalities in the sub-Riemannian setting. These results can be applied in an infinite-dimensional setting to prove a logarithmic Sobolev inequality on an infinite-dimensional Heisenberg group modelled on an abstract Wiener space.
Logarithmic Sobolev inequalities on non-isotropic Heisenberg groups
Liangbing Luo, University of Connecticut
2022 AWM Research Symposium
Women in Analysis Research Network - Special Session for Graduate Students and Postdoctoral Fellows