Extrinsic geometry and linear differential equations (Q2244744)

The distinction between intrinsic and extrinsic geometry is fundamental. The former treats spaces, while the latter figures. On the one hand, the main purpose of the paper is to develop a systematic study on extrinsic geometry in the general setting of nilpotent geometry so as to be comparable to the theories in intrinsic geometry. On the other hand, this work may be viewed as a full and unified generalization of the works of \textit{E. J. Wilczynski} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 8, 233--260 (1907; JFM 38.0633.03)] and \textit{Y. Se-Ashi} [Hokkaido Math. J. 17, No. 2, 151--195 (1988; Zbl 0664.34018)] to the framework of nilpotent geometry and analysis. The objects of extrinsic geometry with which the authors are mainly concerned and which are the most general, are the morphisms, or in geometrical terms, osculating maps, \[ \varphi\colon\ (M, \mathfrak{f}) \to L/L^0 \subset\mathrm{Flag} (V, \phi) \] from a filtered manifold \((M, \mathfrak{f})\) to a homogeneous space \(L/L^0\) in a flag variety \(\mathrm{Flag}(V, \phi)\). The authors also present an algorithm to find the complete invariants of the osculating maps \(\varphi\) under certain reasonable conditions. The framework developed in the paper is a nilpotent generalization in extrinsic geometry of the Cartan method (of bundles) of moving frames, and is in good harmony with the one in intrinsic geometry developed by \textit{T. Morimoto} [Jpn. J. Math., New Ser. 9, 293--372 (1983; Zbl 0537.53035); Hokkaido Math. J. 22, No. 3, 263--347 (1993; Zbl 0801.53019); Adv. Stud. Pure Math. 37, 205--252 (2002; Zbl 1048.58015)] and \textit{N. Tanaka} [J. Math. Kyoto Univ. 10, 1--82 (1970; Zbl 0206.50503)]. These two methods are integrated to give a unified view for a deeper understanding of geometry as well as for applications to linear differential equations.