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Spin(9)-invariant valuations
(2013)
The first aim of this thesis is to give a Hadwiger-type theorem for the exceptional Lie group Spin(9). The space of Spin(9)-invariant k-homogeneous valuations is studied through the construction of an exact sequence involving some spaces of differential forms. We present then a description of the spin representation using the properties of the 8-dimensional division algebra of the octonions. Using this description as well as representation-theoretic formulas, we can compute the dimensions of the spaces of differential forms appearing in the exact sequence. Hence we obtain the dimensions of the spaces of k-homogeneous Spin(9)-invariant valuations for k=0,1,...,16.
In the second part of this work, we construct one new element for a basis of one of these spaces. It is clear, that the k-th intrinsic volume is also Spin(9)-invariant. The last chapter of this work presents the construction of a new 2-homogeneous Spin(9)-invariant valuation. On a Riemannian manifold (M,g), we construct a valuation by integrating the curvature tensor over the disc bundle. We associate to this valuation on M a family of valuations on the tangent spaces. We show that these valuations are even and homogeneous of degree 2. Moreover, since the valuation on M is invariant under the action of the isometry group of M, the induced valuation on the tangent space in a point p in M is invariant under the action of the stabilisator of p for all p in M. In the special case where M is the octonionic projective plane, this construction yields an even, homogeneous of degree 2, Spin(9)-invariant valuation, whose Klain function is not constant, i.e. which is linearly independent of the second intrinsic volume.