Quasicomplementary foliations and the Mather-Thurston theorem (Q2024743)

Let \(\mathcal F\) be a foliation on a compact manifold \(M\) of dimension \(q\ge2\). It is well known that, in general, there is no foliation \(\mathcal G\) on \(M\) complementary to \(\mathcal F\); i.e., transverse to \(\mathcal F\) and of codimension \(q\). Now, after defining the concept of multifold Reeb component, it is said that \(\mathcal G\) is quasicomplementary to \(\mathcal F\) if it is complementary to \(\mathcal F\) except on finitely many multifold Reeb components, where \(\mathcal F\) and \(\mathcal G\) have an explicit description. For \(M\) and \(\mathcal F\) as above, assume we are given a \(\Gamma_q\)-structure \(\gamma\) whose normal bundle is the tangent bundle \(\tau\mathcal F\), and a \(1\)-form \(\omega\) with values in \(\tau\mathcal F\), such that \(\omega|_{\tau\mathcal F}\) is of constant rank \(q\) and \(d\gamma=\omega\) on some neighborhood of \(\partial M\). Then the main result of the paper states that there is a regular \(\Gamma_q\)-structure \(\gamma'\) on \(M\) of a normal bundle \(\tau\mathcal F\) such that \(\gamma'=\gamma\) on some neighborhood of \(\partial M\), \(\gamma'\) is concordant to \(\gamma\) (rel. \(\partial M\)), \(d\gamma'\) is homotopic to \(\omega\) (rel. \(\partial M\)) among the 1-forms valued in \(\tau\mathcal F\) of constant rank \(q\), and the foliation induced by \(\gamma'\) is quasicomplementary to \(\mathcal F\). Versions with arbitrary differentiability are also true. This outstanding result is a refinement of the \(h\)-principle for foliations due to W.~Thurston, where the ingredient \(\mathcal F\) was not considered. The proof uses the Gromov-Phillips-Haefliger parametric foliation theorem on open manifolds, and the inflation process used by W.~Thurston to prove his original version of the theorem. As a corollary, it is obtained that any \(C^\infty\) foliation of dimension at least \(2\) on a closed manifold admits a quasicomplementary \(C^1\) foliation.