The Isoperimetric Problem in Carnot-Caratéodory Spaces

Abstract

We present some recent results obtained on the isoperimetric problem in a class of Carnot-Caratheodory spaces, related to the Heisenberg group. This is the framework of Pansu’s conjecture about the shape of isoperimetric sets. Two different approaches are considered. On one hand we describe the isoperimetric problem in Grushin spaces, under a symmetry assumption that depends on the dimension and we provide a classification of isoperimetric sets for special dimensions. On the other hand, we present some results about the isoperimetric problem in a family of Riemannian manifolds approximating the Heisenberg group. In this context we study constant mean curvature surfaces. Inspired by Abresch and Rosenberg techniques on holomorphic quadratic differentials, we classify isoperimetric sets under a topological assumption.