On totally real spheres in complex space (Q1380089)

Let \(M, N\) be two totally real and real analytic submanifolds in \(\mathbb C^n\). \(M\) and \(N\) are said to be biholomorphically equivalent if there is a biholomorphic mapping \(F\) defined in a neighborhood of \(M\) such that \(F(M)= N\). As a standard fact of complexification, one knows that all totally real and real analytic embeddings of \(M\) in \(\mathbb C^n\) are biholomorphically equivalent if \(M\) is of maximal dimension \(n\). The sphere \(S^k:\sum_{i=1}^{k+1}x_i^2= 1\) in \(\mathbb R^{k+1}\) represents a trivial totally real embedding of \(S^k\) in \(\mathbb C^{k+1}\). The main result of the paper is the following theorem: If \(k \leq 4\), all totally real and real analytic embeddings of \(S^k\) in \(\mathbb C^n\) are biholomorphically equivalent. If \(k \geq 5\) and \(n_k= k +2[(k-1)/4]\), there exist totally real and real analytic embeddings of \(S^k\) in \(\mathbb C^{n_k}\) which are not biholomorphically equivalent, while all totally real and real analytic embeddings of \(S^k\) in \(\mathbb C^n\) are biholomorphically equivalent if \(n > n_k\). Recall that a \(C^1\)-smooth mapping \(f: M \to \mathbb C^n\) is a totally real immersion if \(f_*T_xM\) spans a \(k\)-dimensional complex linear subspace of \(T_{f(x)}\mathbb C^n\) for each \(x \in M\). The author defines the \textit{complex} normal bundle of the immersion \(f\), denoted by \(\nu_f\), to be the complex vector bundle whose fiber over \(x\in M\) is the quotient of \(T_{f(x)}\mathbb C^n\) by the complex linear span of \(f_*T_xM\). Analogous to the results of \textit{M. W. Hirsch} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 93, 242-276 (1959; Zbl 0113.17202)] about transversal fields of smooth immersions, the author obtains the theorem on the regular homotopy totally real immersions. Namely, let \(f:M \to \mathbb C^n\) be a \(C^1\) totally real immersion. Assume that the complex normal bundle \(\nu_f\) has a topologically trivial subbundle of rank \(r\). Then there is a regular homotopy \(f_t:M \to \mathbb C^n\) of \(C^1\) totally real immersions such that \(f_0=f\) and \(f_1:M\to \mathbb C^{n-r}\). The author exibits a conclusion and an application of this theorem as follows: Let \(M\) be a smooth manifold of dimension \(k\). Then \(M\) admits a totally real immersion in \(\mathbb C^n\) with a trivial complex normal bundle iff there exists a totally real immersion of \(M\) in \(C^k\), i.e. the complexified tangent bundle \(T^cM\) is trivial. Let \(M\) be a manifold of dimension \(n\) which is immersible in \(\mathbb R^{n+1}\). Then \(T^cM\) is trivial if \(M\) is orientable, or \(M\) is non-orientable with \(H^2(M,\mathbb Z)= 0\).