Characterization of exact lumpability for vector fields on smooth manifolds (Q739452)

Consider a smooth submersion (called \textit{lumping}) \(\pi :X\rightarrow Y\) between smooth manifolds such that \(\dim (Y)<\dim(X)\). For a vector field on \(X\) we say that it is \textit{exactly lumpable} if there exists a vector field on \(Y\) which is \(\pi\)-related to it. The authors characterize exact lumpability of smooth vector fields on smooth manifolds. The necessary and sufficient conditions for lumpability are expressed from four different perspectives. A partial connection on the pullback bundle related to the Bott connection and behaving like a Lie derivative is introduced. The lumping conditions are formulated in terms of the differential of the lumping map, its covariant derivative with respect to the connection and their respective kernels. Examples illustrating the theory are provided.