Generalization of the Chekanov theorem: diameters of immersed manifolds and wave fronts

Abstract

The Chekanov theorem generalizes the classic Lyusternik-Shnirel'man and Morse theorems concerning critical points of a smooth function on a closed manifold. A Legendrian submanifold \Lambda of space of 1-jets of the functions on a manifold M defines a multi-valued function whose graph is the projection of \Lambda in J^0 M = M x R. The Chekanov theorem asserts that if \Lambda is homotopic to the 1-jet of a smooth function in the class of embedded Legendrian manifolds, then such a graph of a multi-valued function must have a lot of points (their number is determined by the topology of M) at which the tangent plane to the graph is parallel to M \times 0. In the present paper a similar estimate is proved for a wider class of Legendrian manifolds. We consider Legendrian manifolds homotopic (in the class of embedded Legendrian manifolds) to Legendrian manifolds specified by generating families.