Differential invariants and symmetry: Riemannian metrics and beyond (Q901826)

In the paper under review, the author discusses the Lie-Tresse theorem for the pseudogroup of diffeomorphisms acting on the space of (pseudo-)Riemannian metrics and relates this to existence of Killing vector fields; the impact of symmetry in the general case is considered. The Lie-Tresse theorem on finite-generation of the (generally infinite) algebra of differential invariants of a Lie pseudogroup is recalled. After that, specification of this theorem for Riemannian metrics is given. Classification of all scalar differential invariants implies recognition problem for (Zariski generic) Riemannian metrics. The author considers the general differential equation/space of geometric structures \({\mathcal E}\) acted upon by a Lie pseudogroup \(G\). The main result is the following Theorem 4 from Section 4: Suppose that the solutions/structures of \(\mathcal E\) are either rigid or that they are analytic. Then, if the restriction \(A_q\) of the algebra of scalar differential invariants \(A\) to a regular solution/structure \(q\) has functional rank \(m\), there exists a symmetry algebra of \(q\) (possibly after shrinking the domain) with regular orbits on \(M\) of \(\dim \mathrm{Sym}(q) = n-m\). For Cartan geometries another proof is sketched. The proof generalizes to the filtered analytic structures of infinite type using the tower construction of \textit{T. Morimoto} [Hokkaido Math. J. 22, No. 3, 263--347 (1993; Zbl 0801.53019)] and the stabilization by involutivity. The paper ends with 3 open problems.