Pointwise partial hyperbolicity in 3-dimensional nilmanifolds

Abstract

We show the existence of a family of manifolds on which all (pointwise or absolutely) partially hyperbolic systems are dynamically coherent. This family is the set of 3-manifolds with nilpotent, non-abelian fundamental group. We further classify the partially hyperbolic systems on these manifolds up to leaf conjugacy. We also classify those systems on the 3-torus which do not have an attracting or repelling periodic 2-torus. These classification results allow us to prove some dynamical consequences, including existence and uniqueness results for measures of maximal entropy and quasi-attractors.