Solving local equivalence problems with the equivariant moving frame method (Q352498)

In 1999, \textit{M. Fels} and \textit{P. J. Olver} [Acta Appl. Math. 55, No. 2, 127--208 (1999; Zbl 0937.53013)] proposed a new theoretical foundation to the classical Cartan's method of moving frames. For a Lie group \(G\) acting on the \(n^{\text{th}}\) order jet space \(J^n(M,p)\) of \(p\)-dimensional submanifolds of \(M\), a moving frame is a \(G\)-equivariant section of the trivial bundle \(J^n(M,p)\times G\to J^n(M,p)\). This new framework is known as the equivariant moving frame method. Given a Lie pseudo-group action, an equivariant moving frame exists in the neighborhood of a submanifold jet provided the action is free and regular. Unfortunately, the freeness requirement cannot always be satisfied. In the present paper it is shown that, with the appropriate modifications and assumptions, the equivariant moving frame constructions extend to submanifold jets where the pseudo-group does not act freely at any order. This leads to an alternative approach to Cartan's equivalence method based on the theory of \(G\)-structures.