Global stability of special multi-flags (Q607845)

The author studies special multi-flags on manifolds. A special multi-flag is a certain nested sequence of subbundles of the tangent bundle which are derived by Lie brackets. A property of a special multi-flag is characterized by the existence of a completely integrable subdistribution of corank one in the largest distribution in the sequence, which is a so-called covariant subdistribution. It is proved that a one-parameter deformation of a special multi-flag on a compact manifold can be described by a family of global diffeomorphisms of the underlying manifold, if the covariant subdistribution of the largest distribution in the flag is preserved. Technically, the main result of the paper is as follows: Let \(\mathcal{F}_{t} : D_{s}^{t} \subset D_{s-1}^{t} \subset \cdots \subset D_{1}^{t} \subset TM\), \(t \in [0,1]\), be a family of special multi-flags on a compact manifold \(M\). Assume that the covariant subdistribution \(F(D_{1}^{t})\) of their largest distribution \(D_{1}^{t}\) is still diffeomorphic to each other for any \(t \in [0,1]\). Then there exists a family \(\Phi_{t} : M \rightarrow M\) of global diffeomorphisms of \(M\) such that \(\Phi_{0} = id\) and \((\Phi_{1})_{*} \mathcal{F}_{0} = \mathcal{F}_{1}\), that is, \((\Phi_{1})_{*} D_{i}^{0} = D_{i}^{1}\) for each \(i = 1, 2,\dots, s\).