Geometric resolution of singular Riemannian foliations (Q605089)

The author introduces the notion of a geometric resolution for a Riemannian manifold with an isometric group action. Unlike a conventional resolution, which makes the action regular and preserves its regular part [see, e.g., \textit{P. Molino}, Am. J. Math. 106, 1091--1106 (1984; Zbl 0576.57022); and \textit{A. Wassermann}, Topology Appl. 75, No.~1, 13--31 (1997; Zbl 0877.57017)], a geometric resolution also preserves the transverse geometry along the singular part, in a sense, extending the range of topological and geometric properties that survive such a modification [see also \textit{K. Grove} and \textit{C. Searle}, Ann. Global Anal. Geom. 18, No.~3--4, 437--446 (2000; Zbl 0982.53048) for earlier studies in this direction]. The author constructs a geometric resolution for infinitesimally polar actions, which, in particular, include polar ones, variationally complete ones and actions of cohomogeneity at most 2. One example of an application is the following: If an isometric action of a connected group on a complete simply connected Riemannian manifold is polar or variationally complete, then the group is closed in the isometry group of the manifold, and there are no exceptional orbits. The work is done in a more general setting of singular Riemannian foliations (which axiomatize properties of orbit decompositions of isometric group actions, see, e.g., \textit{P. Molino}, Progress in Mathematics, Vol. 73. Boston-Basel: Birkhäuser. (1988; Zbl 0633.53001)]); \textit{S. Wiesendorf} [Master's thesis, University of Cologne (2008)] elaborates and simplifies its ideas in the case of isometric group actions.