Polynomial foldings and rank of tensors (Q2629208)

The authors define a new concept, called folding generic tensor. They compare it to rank generic tensors. In the first pages they give a extensive review on rank, multilinear rank, and multiplex rank, including some examples. The main result in the paper is that for \(X=U\oplus V \oplus W\) with \(\dim(U)=2\), \(\dim(V)=2,3\) and \(\dim(W)\geq 2\) a folding generic tensor is rank generic and the reverse does not hold. The proof uses the classification of orbits under the action of \(\mathrm{GL}(U)\times\mathrm{GL}(V)\times\mathrm{GL}(W) \) done in [\textit{J.M. Landsberg}, Tensors: Geometry and applications. Providence: American Mathematical Society (2012; Zbl 1238.15013)]. The authors check orbit by orbit with details whether the tensor is folding generic or rank generic. This is done in a clear and thorough way. After this they show that in \({\mathbb C}^3\otimes{\mathbb C}^3\otimes{\mathbb C}^3\) there are folding generic tensors that are not rank generic. They conclude studying the different types of ranks of a fourth order tensor called elasticity tensor, which appears in mechanics.