English

Intersection probabilities for flats in hyperbolic space

Probability 2025-07-01 v1

Abstract

Consider the dd-dimensional hyperbolic space MKd\mathbb{M}_K^d of constant curvature K<0K<0 and fix a point oo playing the role of an origin. Let L\mathbf{L} be a uniform random qq-dimensional totally geodesic submanifold (called qq-flat) in MKd\mathbb{M}_K^d passing through oo and, independently of L\mathbf{L}, let E\mathbf{E} be a random (dq+γ)(d-q+\gamma)-flat in MKd\mathbb{M}_K^d which is uniformly distributed in the set of all (dq+γ)(d-q+\gamma)-flats intersecting a hyperbolic ball of radius u>0u>0 around oo. We are interested in the distribution of the random γ\gamma-flat arising as the intersection of E\mathbf{E} with L\mathbf{L}. In contrast to the Euclidean case, the intersection EL\mathbf{E}\cap \mathbf{L} can be empty with strictly positive probability. We determine this probability and the full distribution of EL\mathbf{E}\cap \mathbf{L}. Thereby, we elucidate crucial differences to the Euclidean case. Moreover, we study the limiting behaviour as dd\uparrow\infty and also K0K\uparrow 0. Thereby we obtain a phase transition with three different phases which we completely characterize, including a critical phase with distinctive behavior and a phase recovering the Euclidean results. In the background are methods from hyperbolic integral geometry.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.2407.10708,
  title  = {Intersection probabilities for flats in hyperbolic space},
  author = {Ercan Sönmez and Panagiotis Spanos and Christoph Thäle},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:2407.10708},
  year   = {2025}
}
R2 v1 2026-06-28T17:41:10.988Z