Submanifolds with symmetric fundamental forms of higher orders as envelopes (Q1387282)

According to \textit{D. Ferus} [Math. Ann. 247, 81-93 (1980; Zbl 0446.53041)], a smooth submanifold \(M^m\) with parallel second fundamental form \(\alpha_2\), i.e., \(\overline \nabla \alpha_2 =0\), in a space form \(N^n (c)\) is (extrinsically) symmetric. A submanifold which satisfies the integrability condition \(\overline R\alpha_2 =0\) of the system \(\overline \nabla \alpha_2 =0\) is called semisymmetric (or, equivalently, semiparallel). After introducing the third, fourth, \(\dots\), \(s\)-th order fundamental forms \(\alpha_3, \alpha_4, \dots, \alpha_s\) by \(\alpha_3 =\overline \nabla \alpha_2\), \(\alpha_4= \overline \nabla \alpha_3, \dots, \alpha_s = \overline \nabla \alpha_{s-1}\) (here \(\alpha_2\) and \(\alpha_3\) are symmetric for any \(M^m)\), one obtains that semisymmetricity is equivalent to the symmetricity of \(\alpha_4\). A basic result by \textit{Ü. Lumiste} [Proc. Est. Acad. Sci., Phys. Math. 39, 1-8 (1990; Zbl 0704.53017)] states that \(M^m\) in \(N^n(c)\) is semisymmetric if and only if it is the second order envelope of a family of symmetric submanifolds. Here this result is generalized to the higher order case. It is proved that \(M^m\) with symmetric \(\alpha_4, \dots, \alpha_{s-1}\) in Euclidean space \(E^n\) has symmetric \(\alpha_s\) if and only if \(M^m\) is the \((s-2)\) order envelope of a family of submanifolds with symmetric \(\alpha_4, \dots, \alpha_{s-2}\) and parallel \(\alpha_{s-2}\), i.e., \(\overline \nabla \alpha_{s-2} =0\). This enveloping is meant with \(s-2\) order contact, i.e., with coinciding \(\alpha_2, \dots, \alpha_{s-2}\) at a common point.