Traversally generic \(\&\) versal vector flows: semi-algebraic models of tangency to the boundary (Q525716)

Let \(X\) be a compact smooth manifold with boundary and \(\mathcal V(X)\) the space of smooth vector fields on \(X\). In the paper under review some problems related with the theory of Morin's local models (cf. [\textit{B. Morin}, C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris 260, 5662--5665, 6503--6506 (1965; Zbl 0178.26801)]) are investigated, e.g., how the flows associated with certain vector fields interact with the boundary. First of all the author introduces and studies several subspaces of \(\mathcal V(X)\) that correspond to different types of vector fields: the space of non-vanishing fields \(\mathcal V_{\neq 0}(X)\), the space of gradient-like fields \(\mathcal V_{\text{grad}}(X)\), the space of traversing fields \(\mathcal V_{\text{trav}}(X)\), the spaces of traversally generic fields \(\mathcal V^\dagger(X)\) and boundary generic fields \(\mathcal V^\ddagger(X)\), the space of versal fields \(\mathcal V_{\text{vers}}(X)\), and some others (see details in [\textit{G. Katz}, Morse theory, gradient flows, concavity and complexity on manifolds with boundary (to appear). Hackensack, NJ: World Scientific (2017; Zbl 1432.58002)]). In particular, one has \(\mathcal V^\ddagger(X)\subset\mathcal V^\dagger(X)\subset\mathcal V(X)\), \(\mathcal V_{\text{trav}}(X) = {\mathcal V_{\text{grad}}(X)\cap \mathcal V_{\neq 0}(X)}\), \(\mathcal V^\ddagger(X)\subset \mathcal V_{\text{trav}}(X)\cap\mathcal V^\dagger(X)\). The author points out that the definitions of boundary generic and traversally generic vector fields \(v\) are inspired by classical notions from the singularity theory of smooth Boardman maps ([\textit{J. M. Boardman}, Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 33, 21--57 (1967; Zbl 0165.56803)]). Among other things the following two assertions are obtained: the space \(\mathcal V^\dagger(X)\) is open and dense in \(\mathcal V(X)\), and \(\mathcal V^\ddagger(X)\) is open and dense in the space \(\mathcal V_{\text{trav}}(X)\). Next, the author establishes local versal algebraic models for the way a sheaf of \(v\)-trajectories interacts with the boundary of \(X\). He shows also that for fields from the space \(\mathcal V^\ddagger(X)\) the finite list of such models depends only on the dimension of \(X\).