\(\Sigma\)-flat manifolds and Riemannian submersions (Q1263098)

According to the known Cheeger-Gromoll conjecture every open manifold \(M^ n\) with nonnegative sectional curvature K is diffeomorphic to the Euclidean space if \(K>0\) at some point p. Every such manifold is diffeomorphic to the normal bundle \(\nu\) S of some totally geodesic submanifold S and many of such manifolds may be constructed with the help of Riemannian submersions (R.s.) \(M\to M/G\) where the group G acts by isometries on M. From O'Neills formula it follows that M/G inherits nonnegative curvature, provided M has nonnegative curvature. Toponogov also conjectured that if M is not diffeomorphic to the Euclidean space, then it has many totally geodesic flats of zero curvature (\(\Sigma\)- flatness). The authors proved that this \(\Sigma\)-flatness condition preserves under Riemannian submersions, so it is impossible to construct counter examples to Topogonov's conjecture with the help of R.s. Note that Toponogov's conjecture was ``almost'' proved by the reviewer in [Dokl. Akad. Nauk SSSR 305, Nr. 6, 1311-1314 (1989)] where it was announced that the sectional curvature of the supposed flat planes near S goes to zero faster than every positive degree of dist(\(\cdot,S)\). So Toponogov and Cheeger-Gromoll conjectures are true for analytical manifolds.