\(s\)-semi-parallel submanifolds in spaces of constant curvature as the envelopes of \(s\)-parallel submanifolds (Q1382911)

For a submanifold \(M\) in a space of constant curvature \(M_n(c)\), let the fibre bundle \(O(M_n(c))\) of orthonormal frames \(\{x,e_1, \dots, e_n\}\) be reduced to the bundle \(O(M, M_n(c))\) of frames adapted to \(M\) with \(e_i\) \((i=1, \dots, m)\) belonging to the tangent space \(T_xM\). Then for the canonical 1-form on \(M_n(c)\) there holds \(\omega^\alpha=0\), thus, due to the structural equations and the Cartan lemma, \(\omega_i^\alpha =h_{ij}^\alpha \omega^j\), \(h^\alpha_{ij} =h^\alpha_{ji}\); further, \(\overline\nabla h^\alpha_{ij} =h^\alpha_{ijl} \omega^k\), \(h^\alpha_{ijk} =h^\alpha_{ikj}; \dots; \overline \nabla h^\alpha_{i_1 \dots i_s} = h_{i_1 \dots i_s i_{s+1}} \omega^{i_{s+1}}\), \(s=3,4, \dots\), where \(\overline\nabla h^\alpha_{ij} =dh^\alpha_{ij} -h^\alpha_{kj} \omega_i^k- h^\alpha_{ik} \omega^k_j+ h^\beta_{ij} \omega^\alpha_\beta\) \((\omega^i_j\) and \(\omega^\alpha_\beta\) are the forms of the Levi-Civita and the normal connection of \(M\), respectively). By \(\alpha_2:(X,Y) \mapsto h^\alpha_{ij} X^i Y^je_\alpha\), \(\alpha_3: (X,Y,Z) \mapsto h^\alpha_{ijk} X^iY^j Z^ke_\alpha, \dots, \alpha_s: (X_1, \dots, X_s) \mapsto h^\alpha_{i_1\dots i_s} X_1^{i_1} \dots X_s^{i_s}\), the second, third, \(\dots\), \(s\)th fundamental form of \(M\) is introduced (cf. \textit{Ü. Lumiste} [Lect. Notes Math. 1481, 126-137 (1991; Zbl 0751.53005)]); shortly, \(\alpha_3= \overline \nabla \alpha_2, \dots, \alpha_s= \overline\nabla \alpha_{s-1}\). If \(\overline \nabla \alpha_s=0\), the submanifold \(M\) is said to be \(s\)-parallel. The integrability condition is \(h^\alpha_{ki_1 \dots i_s} \Omega^k_{i_1} + \cdots+ h^\alpha_{i_1 \dots i_{s-1}k} \Omega^k_{i_s} -h^\beta_{i_1 \dots i_s} \Omega^\alpha_\beta =0\), due to \(d\omega^i_j =\omega^k_i \wedge \omega^j_k+ \Omega^j_i\), \(d\omega^\alpha_\beta =\omega^\gamma_\alpha \wedge \omega^\beta_\gamma+ \Omega^\beta_\alpha\). A submanifold \(M\), satisfying this condition, shortly \(\overline R(X,Y) \cdot \alpha_s=0\), is said to be \(s\)-semi-parallel. As a generalization of a result by \textit{Ü. Lumiste} for \(s=2\) [Izv. Akad. Nauk. Ehst. SSR, Fiz., Mat. 39, 1-8 (1990; Zbl 0704.53017)], it is shown that a submanifold \(M\) in \(M_n(c)\) is an envelope of order \(s\) for some family of \(s\)-parallel submanifolds if and only if it is semi-parallel of orders \(s-1\) and \(s\) (for \(s>2)\), or semiparallel of order 2 (for \(s=2)\); intrinsically such an \(M\) is a semi-symmetric Riemannian space. This theorem simplifies if \(\alpha_3, \dots, \alpha_{s-1}\) are symmetric.