Geometric equivalence among smooth map germs (Q2010777)

In the classical Thom-Mather theory, the main equivalence to study germs \(f:(\mathbb R^n,0)\to(\mathbb R^p,0)\) is \(\mathscr A\)-equivalence, i.e., germs of diffeomorphisms acting in source and target. \(\mathscr K\)-equivalence is also central in this theory for stability issues. \textit{J.-C. Tougeron} studied in [Ideaux de fonctions différentiables. Berlin-Heidelberg-New York: Springer-Verlag (1972; Zbl 0251.58001)] \(\mathscr K[G]\)-equivalence where \(G\) is a linear Lie group acting on the target space. \(\mathscr K[GL(p,\mathbb R)]\)-equivalence is just \(\mathscr K\)-equivalence. In this paper, the authors study \(\mathscr A[G]\)-equivalence. When \(G=GL(p,\mathbb R)\), this is just \(\mathscr A\)-equivalence and when \(G\) is the identity matrix, it is \(\mathscr R\)-equivalence (germs of diffeomorphism in the source space). The difficulty arises from the fact that, differently from \(\mathscr K[G]\), \(\mathscr A[G]\) is not a geometric subgroup of \(\mathscr A\) and so classical singulartiy theory techniques cannot be applied. The authors investigate the infinitesimal version of \(\mathscr A[G]\)-equivalence by analysing vector fields associated to \(G\). Many examples are given and relationships between \(\mathscr A[G]\) and \(\mathscr R\times G\) are established. The paper is very well written and opens new prespectives since the applications of such equivalence relations go as far as quantum physics.