Criteria for singularities of smooth maps from the plane into the plane and their applications (Q614521)

Given a map germ \(f:(\mathbb R^2,0)\rightarrow (\mathbb R^2,0)\), the authors give criteria in order for the map germ to have lips, beaks or swallowtail singularities even if it is not expressed in a normal form of the type \((u,v)\mapsto (u,f_2(u,v))\). Let \(U\subset \mathbb R^2\) be an open set, and consider the map germ \(f:(U,p)\rightarrow (\mathbb R^2,0)\). At a corank one singular point \(p\) of \(f\), there exists a neighbourhood \(V\) of \(p\) and a non-vanishing vector field \(\eta\) on \(V\) such that \(df_q(\eta)=0\) for any \(q\in S(f)\cap V\), where \(S(f)\) is the singular set. The authors define the discriminant function \(\lambda\) of \(f\) as the determinant of the Jacobian matrix of \(f\). The main theorem states that: {\parindent6.5mm \begin{itemize}\item[(1)] \(f\) is \(\mathcal A\)-equivalent to the lips if and only if \(p\) is of corank one, \(d\lambda (p)=0\) and det Hess \(\lambda (p)>0\). \item[(2)] \(f\) is \(\mathcal A\)-equivalent to the beaks if and only if \(p\) is of corank one, \(d\lambda (p)=0\), det Hess \(\lambda (p)<0\) and \(\eta\eta\lambda (p)\neq 0\). \item[(3)] \(f\) is \(\mathcal A\)-equivalent to the swallowtail if and only if \(d\lambda (p)\neq0\), \(\eta\lambda (p)=\eta\eta\lambda (p)=0\) and \(\eta\eta\eta\lambda (p)\neq 0\). \end{itemize}} The authors then apply this result to a Cauchy problem of a single conservation law.