On approximation of maps into real algebraic homogeneous spaces (Q2122111)

This paper studies approximation of continuous or \(\mathcal C^{\infty}\) maps by real regular maps when linear real algebraic groups act the target spaces. Let \(X\) be a real algebraic variety (resp. nonsingular real algebraic variety) and \(Y\) be a homogeneous space for some linear real algebraic group. Then, for a continuous (resp. \(\mathcal C^{\infty}\)) map \(f: X \to Y\), the following are equivalent: \begin{itemize} \item \(f\) can be approximated by regular maps in the \(\mathcal C^0\) (resp. \(\mathcal C^{\infty}\)) topology. \item \(f\) is homotopic to a regular map. \end{itemize} Applying this result to the unit \(n\)-spheres \(\mathbb S^n\), the authors solved problems on the approximations of maps between unit spheres, which had been open since the 1980's. Several other corollaries and three conjectures together with their partial solutions are also introduced. The notion of malleable varieties and its generalization to submersions are used in the proof. By definition, a malleable variety admits an algebraic vector bundle \((E,p)\) over \(Y\) and a regular map \(s:E \to Y\) such that \(s(0_y)=y\) for all \(y \in Y\) and \(d_{0_y}(T_{0_y}E_y)=T_yY\). A homogeneous space for a linear real algebraic group is proven to be malleable.