Differentiable manifoldIn mathematics, a differentiable manifold (also differential manifold) is a type of manifold that is locally similar enough to a vector space to allow one to apply calculus. Any manifold can be described by a collection of charts (atlas). One may then apply ideas from calculus while working within the individual charts, since each chart lies within a vector space to which the usual rules of calculus apply. If the charts are suitably compatible (namely, the transition from one chart to another is differentiable), then computations done in one chart are valid in any other differentiable chart.
Immersion (mathematics)In mathematics, an immersion is a differentiable function between differentiable manifolds whose differential pushforward is everywhere injective. Explicitly, f : M → N is an immersion if is an injective function at every point p of M (where TpX denotes the tangent space of a manifold X at a point p in X). Equivalently, f is an immersion if its derivative has constant rank equal to the dimension of M: The function f itself need not be injective, only its derivative must be. A related concept is that of an embedding.
Rank (differential topology)In mathematics, the rank of a differentiable map between differentiable manifolds at a point is the rank of the derivative of at . Recall that the derivative of at is a linear map from the tangent space at p to the tangent space at f(p). As a linear map between vector spaces it has a well-defined rank, which is just the dimension of the in Tf(p)N: A differentiable map f : M → N is said to have constant rank if the rank of f is the same for all p in M. Constant rank maps have a number of nice properties and are an important concept in differential topology.
Submersion (mathematics)In mathematics, a submersion is a differentiable map between differentiable manifolds whose differential is everywhere surjective. This is a basic concept in differential topology. The notion of a submersion is dual to the notion of an immersion. Let M and N be differentiable manifolds and be a differentiable map between them. The map f is a submersion at a point if its differential is a surjective linear map. In this case p is called a regular point of the map f, otherwise, p is a critical point.
Inverse function theoremIn mathematics, specifically differential calculus, the inverse function theorem gives a sufficient condition for a function to be invertible in a neighborhood of a point in its domain: namely, that its derivative is continuous and non-zero at the point. The theorem also gives a formula for the derivative of the inverse function. In multivariable calculus, this theorem can be generalized to any continuously differentiable, vector-valued function whose Jacobian determinant is nonzero at a point in its domain, giving a formula for the Jacobian matrix of the inverse.