Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-q99xh Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-25T16:38:22.918Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

On the zero set of G-equivariant maps

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 July 2009

P-L. BUONO
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ONT L1H 7K4, Canada. e-mail: [email protected]
M. HELMER
Affiliation:
Faculty of Science, University of Ontario Institute of Technology, Oshawa, ONT L1H 7K4, Canada. e-mail: [email protected]
J. S. W. LAMB
Affiliation:
Department of Mathematics, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, UK

Abstract

Let G be a finite group acting on vector spaces V and W and consider a smooth G-equivariant mapping f: VW. This paper addresses the question of the zero set of f near a zero x with isotropy subgroup G. It is known from results of Bierstone and Field on G-transversality theory that the zero set in a neighbourhood of x is a stratified set. The purpose of this paper is to partially determine the structure of the stratified set near x using only information from the representations V and W. We define an index s(Σ) for isotropy subgroups Σ of G which is the difference of the dimension of the fixed point subspace of Σ in V and W. Our main result states that if V contains a subspace G-isomorphic to W, then for every maximal isotropy subgroup Σ satisfying s(Σ) > s(G), the zero set of f near x contains a smooth manifold of zeros with isotropy subgroup Σ of dimension s(Σ). We also present partial results in the case of group representations V and W which do not satisfy the conditions of our main theorem. The paper contains many examples and raises several questions concerning the computation of zero sets of equivariant maps. These results have application to the bifurcation theory of G-reversible equivariant vector fields.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge Philosophical Society 2009

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

[1]Bierstone, E.General position of equivariant maps. Trans. Amer. Mat. Soc. 234 (2) (1977), 447466.Google Scholar
[2]Buono, P-L., Lamb, J. S. W and Roberts, M.Bifurcation and branching of equilibria in reversible equivariant vector fields. Nonlinearity 21 (2008), 625660.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[3]Buchner, M., Marsden, J. and Schecter, S.Applications of the blowing-up construction and algebraic geometry to bifurcation problems. J. Diff. Eq. 48 (1983), 404433.Google Scholar
[4]Field, M. J.Transversality in G-manifolds. Trans. Amer. Math. Soc. 231 (2) (1977), 429450.Google Scholar
[5]Field, M. J. and Richardson, R.Symmetry-breaking and the maximal isotropy subgroup conjecture for reflection groups. Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 105 (1989), 6194.Google Scholar
[6]Field, M. J.Symmetry-breaking for compact lie groups. Mem. Amer. Math. Soc. AMS. 574 (1996).Google Scholar
[7]Field, M. J.Dynamics and Symmetry ICP. Advanced Texts in Mathematics vol 3 (Imperial College Press, London, 2007).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[8]Furter, J.-E., Sitta, A. M. and Stewart, I.Singularity theory and equivariant bifurcation problems with parameter symmetry. Math. Proc. Camb. Phil. Soc. 120 (1996), 547578.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[9]Gibson, C. G., Wirthmüller, K., Plessis, A. A. du and Looijenga, E. J. NTopological stability of smooth mappings. Lecture Notes in Mathematics vol 552 (Springer–Verlag 1976).Google Scholar
[10]Golubitsky, M., Marsden, J. E. and Schaeffer, D., Bifurcation problems with hidden symmetries. In Partial Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems (ed. W. E. Fitzgibbon). Res. Not. Math. 101. (Pitman, 1984).Google Scholar
[11]Golubitsky, M. and Schaeffer, D. G.A discussion of symmetry and symmetry breaking. In Singularities, Part 1 (Arcata, 1981) Proc. Sympos. Pure Math. 40 (Amer. Math. Soc., 1983).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[12]Golubitsky, M., Stewart, I. and Schaeffer, D. G.Singularities and Groups in Bifurcation Theory: Vol. II. Appl. Math. Sci. 69. (Springer-Verlag, 1988).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[13]Hambleton, I. and Lee, R.Perturbation of equivariant moduli spaces. Math. Ann. 293 (1992), 1737.Google Scholar
[14]James, G. and Liebeck, M.Representations and Characters of Group (Cambridge University Press, 1993).Google Scholar
[15]Michel, L. Nonlinear group action: Smooth actions of compact Lie groups on manifolds. In Statistical Mechanics and Field Theory (Sen, R. N. and Weil, C., Eds). (Israel University Press, Jerusalem, 1972), 133150.Google Scholar
[16]Ruelle, D.Bifurcations in the presence of a symmetry group. Arch. Rat. Mech. Anal. 51 (1973), 136152.Google Scholar
[17]Sattinger, D. H.Branching in the presence of a symmetry group. CBMS-NSF Conference Notes. 40 (SIAM, Philadelphia, 1983).Google Scholar
[18]Stewart, I. and Dias, A. P.Hilbert series for equivariant mappings restricted to invariant hyperplanes. J. Pure Appl. Alg. 151 (2000), 89106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
[19]van der Waerden, B. L.Algebra, vol 2. (Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1970).Google Scholar
[20]Worfolk, P. A.Zeros of equivariant vector fields: Algorithms for an invariant approach. J. Symb. Comp. 17 (1994), 487511.Google Scholar