Constructions of round fold maps on smooth bundles (Q2339627)

Fold maps generalize Morse functions and are smooth maps from an \(m\)-dimensional smooth manifold to an \(n\)-dimensional smooth manifold without boundary whose only singularities are of folding type, that is \[ (x_1,\ldots,x_m)\mapsto (x_1,\ldots,x_{n-1},\sum_{j=n}^{m-i}x_j-\sum_{j=m-i+1}^mx_j) \] with \(0\leq i\leq m-n+1\), \((m\geq n\geq 1)\). In a previous paper [Hokkaido Math. J. 43, No. 3, 327--359 (2014; Zbl 1307.57018)] the author introduced round fold maps as fold maps where the singular set is a disjoint union of spheres and the restriction of the map to the singular set is an embedding whose image is a disjoint union of concentric spheres, and studied the homology and homotopy groups of manifolds admitting round fold maps. In this paper the author is concerned with the homeomorphism and diffeomorphism types of the source manifold. New round fold maps are constructed on closed manifolds having the structures of smooth bundles over (exotic) spheres. Then, \(P\)-operations are defined in order to construct round fold maps on smooth \(S^1\)-bundles on manifolds.