Conformally flat submanifolds in spheres and integrable systems (Q719176)

The authors investigate conformally flat \(n\)-submanifolds with flat normal bundle in the conformal \(2(n-1)\)-sphere, generalizing the interesting case of \(3\)-dimensional conformally flat hypersurfaces in \(4\)-dimensional Möbius geometry. In particular, the authors generalize the known relation between conformally flat hypersurfaces in \(S^4\) and curved flats in the space of circles, see the reviewer [Introduction to Möbius differential geometry. London Mathematical Society Lecture Note Series 300. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (2003; Zbl 1040.53002)]. This allows to employ integrable systems methods, such as the dressing action, in the study of the corresponding conformally flat submanifolds. In the present paper, the authors show that the dressing action of certain simple elements gives rise to Ribaucour transformations of conformally flat hypersurfaces (Section 5). The somewhat degenerate case of channel immersions is discussed in some detail (Section 6).