The present thesis contributes to the theory of generalized Minkowski spaces as a continuation of Minkowski geometry, i.e., the geometry of finite-dimensional normed spaces over the field of real numbers. In a generalized Minkowski space, distance and length measurement is provided by a gauge, whose definition mimics the definition of a norm but lacks the symmetry requirement. This seemingly minor change in the definition is deliberately chosen. On the one hand, many techniques from Minkowski spaces can be adapted to generalized Minkowski spaces because several phenomena in Minkowski geometry simply do not depend on the symmetry of distance measurement. On the other hand, the possible asymmetry of the distance measurement set up by gauges is nonetheless meaningful and interesting for applications, e.g., in location science. In this spirit, the presentation of this thesis is led mainly by minimization problems from convex optimization and location science which are appealing to convex geometers, too. In addition, we study metrically defined objects, which may receive a new interpretation when we measure distances asymmetrically. To this end, we use a combination of methods from convex analysis and convex geometry to relate the properties of these objects to the shape of the unit ball of the generalized Minkowski space under consideration.

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Cette thèse est divisée en trois parties. Dans la première, on étudie des systèmes articulés (mécanismes formés de tiges rigides) dont l'espace ambiant n'est pas le plan, mais diverses variétés riemanniennes. On étudie la question de l'universalité des mécanismes : cette notion correspond à l'idée que toute courbe serait tracée par un sommet d'un mécanisme, et que toute variété différentiable serait l'espace de configuration d'un mécanisme. On étend les théorèmes d'universalité au plan de Minkowski, au plan hyperbolique et enfin à la sphère.Toute surface dans R^3 peut être aplatie selon l'axe des z, et la surface aplatie s'approche d'une table de billard dans R^2. Dans la seconde partie, on montre que, sous certaines hypothèses, le flot géodésique de la surface converge localement uniformément vers le flot de billard. De plus, si le billard est dispersif, les propriétés chaotiques du billard remontent au flot géodésique : on montre qu'il est alors Anosov. En appliquant ce résultat à la théorie des systèmes articulés, on obtient un nouvel exemple de systèmes articulé Anosov, comportant cinq tiges.Dans la troisième partie, on s'intéresse aux variétés munies de connexions localement métriques, c'est-à-dire de connexions qui sont localement des connexions de Levi-Civita de métriques riemanniennes ; on donne dans ce cadre un analogue du théorème de décomposition de De Rham, qui s'applique habituellement aux variétés riemanniennes. Dans le cas où une telle connexion préserve une structure conforme, on montre que cette décomposition comporte au plus deux facteurs ; de plus, lorsqu'il y a exactement deux facteurs, l'un des deux est l'espace euclidien R^q. La démonstration des résultats de cette partie passe par l'étude des feuilletages munis d'une structure de similitude transverse. Sur ces feuilletages, on montre un résultat de rigidité qui peut être vu indépendamment des autres: ils sont soit transversalement plats, soit transversalement riemanniens. / This thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part, we study linkages (mechanisms made of rigid rods) whose ambiant space is no longer the plane, but various Riemannian manifolds. We study the question of the universality of linkages: this notion corresponds to the idea that every curve would be traced out by a vertex of some linkage, and that any differentiable manifold would be the configuration space of some linkage. We extend universality theorems to the Minkowski plane, the hyperbolic plane, and finally the sphere.Any surface in R^3 can be flattened with respect to the z-axis, and the flattened surface gets close to a billiard table in R^2. In the second part, we show that, under some hypotheses, the geodesic flow of the surface converges locally uniformly to the billiard flow. Moreover, if the billiard is dispersing, the chaotic properties of the billiard also apply to the geodesic flow: we show that it is Anosov in this case. By applying this result to the theory of linkages, we obtain a new example of Anosov linkage, made of five rods.In the third part, we first consider manifolds with locally metric connections, that is, connections which are locally Levi-Civita connections of Riemannian metrics; we give in this framework an analog of De Rham's decomposition theorem, which usually applies to Riemannian manifolds. In the case such a connection also preserves a conformal structure, we show that this decomposition has at most two factors; moreover, when there are exactly two factors, one of them is the Euclidean space R^q. The proofs of the results of this part use foliations with transverse similarity structures. On these foliations, we give a rigidity theorem of independant interest: they are either transversally flat, or transversally Riemannian.

Submitted by Johnny Rodrigues (johnnyrodrigues@ufcg.edu.br) on 2018-08-14T21:49:47Z No. of bitstreams: 1 PATRÍCIO JOSÉ FÉLIX DA SILVA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGF 2009..pdf: 1514686 bytes, checksum: b72b139b4e01b55657953090b7322867 (MD5) / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-14T21:49:47Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 PATRÍCIO JOSÉ FÉLIX DA SILVA - DISSERTAÇÃO PPGF 2009..pdf: 1514686 bytes, checksum: b72b139b4e01b55657953090b7322867 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2009-03-09 / CNPq / Capes / Um sistema de coordenadas tem a função de localizar os eventos do espaço-tempo com respeito a um sistema de referência. A construção do sistema de coordenadas depende crucialmente da noção de simultaneidade associada ao referencial. No entanto, não existe uma maneira natural, ou privilegiada, de definir simultaneidade para referenciais não inerciais, mesmo no espaço-tempo de Minkowski. Cada procedimento conduz a diferentes sistemas de coordenadas. Neste trabalho, discutimos alguns métodos bem conhecidos da literatura especializada. Estudamos as coordenadas de Rindler, de Fermi-Walker, as coordenadas de Radar e as coordenadas de Emissão (ou GPS). O sistema de coordenadas de Rindler é um dos sistemas de grande destaque porque permite simular algumas propriedades da geometria do Buraco Negro num espaço-tempo plano. As coordenadas de Rindler estão associadas a uma família de observadores uniformemente acelerados que obedecem à relação a=1/ρ, onde a é a aceleração própria do observador e ρ a sua posição inicial com respeito a algum sistema de referência inercial. Neste trabalho, propomos um método para construção de sistemas de coordenadas adaptados a observadores cuja a celeração depende da posição inicial segundo a regra a=a0/ρn, onde n ∈ N e a0 é uma constante, usando o princípio da localidade. O caso n = 1 recupera as coordenadas de Rindler. Os outros casos nos permitem discutir a relação entre a geometria não-Euclidiana das secções espaciais e referenciais acelerados,como originariamente proposto por Einstein. Além disso, com a generalização podemos simular o comportamento de observadores estáticos tanto nas proximidades do horizonte de um Buraco Negro (n=1) quanto em regiões afastadas (n=2). / The main role of a coordinate systein is to localize the event-s of spacetime with respect to a frame of reference. The construetion of a coordinate systein depeuds crucially on the notíon of simultaneity associated to the frame of reference. However, there is no natural manner of defining simultaneity adapted to non-inertial frames of reference, even in the case of Minkowski spacetime. Each procedure leads to different coordinate systems. In thls work. we discuss some well-known methods found in the Literatura. We study the Rindler coordinates. Fermi-Walker coordinates. Radar coodinadates and Emission (or GPS) coordinates. The system of Rindler coordinates has great interest because it simulates in a flat spacetime some aspects of a Black Hole's geometry. We can say that Rindler coordinates are adapted to a family of uniformly accelerated observeis which obey the relatiou a = i, where a is the proper acceieration and p is the initial position with respect to some inertial system. In this work, we also propose a method in order to construct coordinate systems adapted to observers whose accelerations depend on the initial position according to the formula a = where n e N and a» is a constant, by using the locality principie. The case TI = 1 reproduces the Rindler coordinates. The other cases allow us to verify a connection between non-Euciideaii geometry of the spatial sections and non-inertial frames of reference, as it was originally suggested by Einstein. With this generalization we can also simulate the behavior of static observers in the vicinity of a Black Hole"s Horizon (TI = 1) and also in distant regions (n - 2)

The first International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM) was held in Zurich in 1897, setting the standards for all future ICMs. Whilst giving an overview of the congress itself, this thesis focuses on the Swiss organisers, who were predominantly university professors and secondary school teachers. As this thesis aims to offer some insight into their lives, it includes their biographies, highlighting their individual contributions to the congress. Furthermore, it explains why Zurich was chosen as the first host city and how the committee proceeded with the congress organisation. Two of the main organisers were the Swiss geometers Carl Friedrich Geiser (1843-1934) and Ferdinand Rudio (1856-1929). In addition to the congress, they also made valuable contributions to mathematical education, and in Rudio's case, the history of mathematics. Therefore, this thesis focuses primarily on these two mathematicians. As for Geiser, the relationship to his great-uncle Jakob Steiner is explained in more detail. Furthermore, his contributions to the administration of the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology are summarised. Due to the overarching theme of mathematical education and collaborations in this thesis, Geiser's schoolbook "Einleitung in die synthetische Geometrie" is considered in more detail and Geiser's methods are highlighted. A selection of Rudio's contributions to the history of mathematics is studied as well. His book "Archimedes, Huygens, Lambert, Legendre" is analysed and compared to E W Hobson's treatise "Squaring the Circle". Furthermore, Rudio's papers relating to the commentary of Simplicius on quadratures by Antiphon and Hippocrates are considered, focusing on Rudio's translation of the commentary and on "Die Möndchen des Hippokrates". The thesis concludes with an analysis of Rudio's popular lectures "Leonhard Euler" and "Über den Antheil der mathematischen Wissenschaften an der Kultur der Renaissance", which are prime examples of his approach to the history of mathematics.