On smooth foliations with Morse singularities (Q664698)

A smooth foliation \({\mathcal F}\) with Morse singularities is a codimension one foliation on a smooth manifold \(M\) outside a set of isolated points, called the singularities of \({\mathcal F}\), such that in a neighborhood of each singularity, there exists a Morse function having a non--degenerate critical point at the singularity which locally defines the leaves of \({\mathcal F}\). The simplest examples are defined by the level sets of a Morse function \(f\) on \(M\), though not all Morse foliations can be so defined by means of a global Morse function. Investigating such foliations, the author obtains generalizations or analogs of classical results due to \textit{G. Reeb} [C. R. Acad. Sci., Paris 222, 847--849 (1946; Zbl 0063.06453)], \textit{J. Eells jun.} and \textit{N. H. Kuiper} [Publ. Math., Inst. Hautes Étud. Sci. 14, 181--222 (1962; Zbl 0109.15701)], Haefliger, and \textit{S. P. Novikov} [Trans. Mosc. Math. Soc. 14, 268--304 (1965); translation from Tr. Mosk. Mat. Obshch. 14, 248--278 (1965; Zbl 0247.57006)]. A procedure to eliminate certain pairs of singularities in a Morse foliation is an important tool in this study.