Homogeneous models for Levi degenerate CR manifolds (Q2175456)

Let \((M, \mathcal D, J)\) be a CR manifold of hypersurface type, i.e., a \((2n+1)\)-dimensional manifold \(M\), equipped with a contact distribution \(\mathcal D\subset TM\) and a smooth field of complex structures \(J_x: \mathcal D_x \to \mathcal D_x\), for which the corresponding \((+i)\)-eigendistribution \(\mathcal D^{10}\subset\mathcal D^{\mathbb C}\) is involutive. For any complex subbundle \(\mathcal {\mathcal K} \subset T^{\mathbb C} M\), let us denote by \(\underline{\mathcal K}\) the space of the sections of \(\mathcal K\). Consider the nested sequence of spaces of complex vector fields \[\underline{\mathcal F_{-1}} \supset \underline {\mathcal F_0} \supset \underline {\mathcal F_1} \supset \ldots \supset \underline {\mathcal F_{p-1}} \supset \underline {\mathcal F_{p}} \supset \ldots \] inductively defined by \[\underline {\mathcal F_{-1}}:= \underline{\mathcal D^{\mathbb C}_{-1}}\ ,\ \ \underline {\mathcal F_{p}}:= \underline{ \mathcal F^{10}_{p}} + \overline{\underline{\mathcal F_{p}^{01}}}\ \ \text{where}\ \underline {\mathcal F^{10}_{-1}}:= \underline {\mathcal D^{10}_{-1}}\] \[\text{and}\ \ \underline{\mathcal F^{10}_p} := \big\{ X \in \underline{\mathcal F^{10}_{p-1}}:[X, \underline{\mathcal D^{10}}] = 0{\hskip -0.3 cm}\mod {\hskip -0.1 cm}\underline{\mathcal F^{10}_{p-1}}{\oplus} \underline{\mathcal D^{01}}\big\}\ ,\] and assume that each space \(\underline {\mathcal F_{p}}\) consists of the sections of some regular complex subbundle \(\mathcal F_p \subset \mathcal D^{\mathbb C}\). The CR manifold \((M, \mathcal D, J)\) is called \textit{(Levi) \(k\)-nondegenerate} if there is an integer \(p\) such that \(\mathcal F_p = 0\) and \(p = k-1\) is the smallest integer for which this occurs. Note that a CR manifold of hypersurface type is Levi nondegenerate in the usual sense if and only if it is \(1\)-non\-degenerate. The main results of this paper establish new CR invariants for this class of CR manifolds of hypersurface type. In fact, the author at first shows that, at all points \(x\) of a \(k\)-nondegenetate CR manifold \(M\), there are naturally associated graded vector spaces, called \textit{cores}, \[\mathfrak m_x = \mathfrak m^{-2}_x + \mathfrak m^{-1}_x + \mathfrak m^{0}_x + \ldots + \mathfrak m^{k-2}_x\ ,\] which are generalisations of the classical Tanaka symbols \(\mathfrak m_x = \mathfrak m_x^{-2} + \mathfrak m_x^{-1}\) associated with the points of any Levi non-degenerate hypersurface. The \textit{cores} are preserved under local CR equivalences and, if \((M, \mathcal D, J)\) is locally homogenous, all of its cores are isomorphic one to the other. The author then introduces two definitions, the notion of \textit{abstract core} and the notion of \textit{model for an abstract core \(\mathfrak m\)}. The first concept captures all of the algebraic properties of the cores of the \(k\)-nondegenerate CR manifolds. The second characterises the Lie algebras of the infinitesimal CR automorphisms of the locally homogeneous CR manifolds with cores isomorphic to a given abstract core \(\mathfrak m\). Finally the author classifies the abstract cores, which might be associated with the \(7\)-dimensional \(k\)-nondegenerate CR manifolds (note that in dimension \(7\) only the values \(k=2\) or \(k = 3\) are allowed) and determines all models for such cores that satisfy appropriate simplifying assumptions. The locally homogeneous CR manifolds corresponding to such models are proven to be CR inequivalent one to the other and provide an interesting new class of examples of \(k\)-nondegenerate CR manifolds.