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# 1 Introduction

## 1 Introduction

Higher spin (HS) gauge theories are theories of gauge fields of all spins (see e.g.  for a review). Because HS gauge symmetries are infinite-dimensional, HS gauge theories may correspond to most symmetric vacua of a theory of fundamental interactions presently identified with superstring theory. The problem is to introduce interactions of HS fields in a way compatible with nonabelian HS gauge symmetries containing diffeomorphisms and Yang-Mills symmetries. Full nonlinear dynamics of HS gauge fields has been elaborated so far at the level of equations of motion for $`d=4`$  which is the simplest nontrivial case since HS gauge fields do not propagate if $`d<4`$. Some lower order interactions of HS fields in the framework of gravity were worked out at the action level for $`d=4`$  and for $`d=5`$ . As a result, it was found out that (i) consistent HS theories contain infinite sets of infinitely increasing spins; (ii) HS gauge interactions contain higher derivatives; (iii) in the framework of gravity, unbroken HS gauge symmetries require a non-zero cosmological constant; (iv) HS symmetry algebras  are certain star product algebras . The properties (i) and (ii) were deduced in the earlier work  on HS interactions in flat space.

The feature that unbroken HS gauge symmetries require a non-zero cosmological constant is crucial in several respects. It explains why the analysis of HS–gravitational interactions in the framework of the expansion near the flat background led to negative conclusions . The $`S`$-matrix Coleman-Mandula-type no-go arguments  become irrelevant because there is no $`S`$-matrix in the $`AdS`$ space. Also it explains why the HS gauge theory phase is not directly observed in the superstring theory prior its full formulation in the $`AdS`$ background is found, and fits the idea of the correspondence between HS gauge theories in the bulk and the boundary conformal theories .

In the context of applications of the HS gauge theory to the superstring theory ($`d=10`$) and M theory ($`d=11`$), it is important to extend the $`4d`$ results on the HS–gravitational interactions to higher dimensions. The aim of this paper is to present the full nonlinear formulation of the field equations for totally symmetric bosonic HS fields in any dimension. The form of the proposed equations is analogous to that of the $`4d`$ equations of .

## 2 Free higher spin gauge fields

There are two equivalent approaches to description of totally symmetric bosonic massless fields of all spins at the free field level. The approach developed by Fronsdal  and de Wit and Freedman  is parallel to the metric formulation of gravity. Here an integer spin $`s`$ massless field is described by a totally symmetric tensor $`\phi _{a_1\mathrm{}a_s}`$ ($`a,b,c=0\mathrm{}d1`$) subject to the double tracelessness condition  $`\phi ^b{}_{b}{}^{c}{}_{ca_5\mathrm{}a_s}{}^{}=0`$ which is nontrivial for $`s4`$. The free field Abelian HS gauge transformation is

$$\delta \phi _{a_1\mathrm{}a_s}=_{\{a_1}\epsilon _{a_2\mathrm{}a_s\}},$$
(2.1)
where the parameter $`\epsilon _{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ is a totally symmetric rank $`(s1)`$ traceless tensor, $`\epsilon ^b{}_{ba_3\mathrm{}a_{s1}}{}^{}=0.`$ A nonlocal version of the same theory with unrestricted gauge parameters was developed in .

An alternative approach operates in terms of a 1-form frame like HS gauge field $`e_{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}=dx^{\underset{¯}{n}}e_{\underset{¯}{n}a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$  which is traceless in the fiber indices,

$$e_b{}_{}{}^{ba_3\mathrm{}a_{s1}}=0.$$
(2.2)
(We use underlined letters for indices of vector fields and forms.) The Abelian HS gauge transformation law in the flat space-time is

$$\delta e^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}=d\epsilon ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}+h_b\epsilon ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}.$$
(2.3)
Here $`h^a`$ is the flat space frame field (i.e., $`h^a=dx^a`$ in the Cartesian coordinates). $`\epsilon ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ is a totally symmetric traceless gauge parameter equivalent to that of the Fronsdal’s formulation. The gauge parameter $`\epsilon ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}`$ is also traceless and satisfies the condition that the symmetrization over all its indices is zero $`\epsilon ^{\{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},a_s\}}=0`$. It is a HS generalization of the parameter of the local Lorentz transformations in gravity ($`s=2`$) which is $`\epsilon ^{a,b}`$. The Lorentz type ambiguity due to $`\epsilon ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}`$ can be gauge fixed by requiring the frame type HS gauge field to be totally symmetric

$$e_{na_2\mathrm{}a_s}=\phi _{na_2\mathrm{}a_s},$$
(2.4)
thus establishing equivalence with the Fronsdal’s formulation. Note that such defined $`\phi _{a_1\mathrm{}a_s}`$ is automatically double traceless as a consequence of (2.2).

The Lorentz type HS symmetry with the parameter $`\epsilon ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}`$ assumes a HS 1-form connection $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}`$. From the analysis of its transformation law it follows  that, generically, some new gauge connections and symmetry parameters have to be introduced. As a result, the full set of HS connections associated with a spin $`s`$ massless field consists of the 1-forms $`dx^{\underset{¯}{n}}\omega _{\underset{¯}{n}}^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b_1\mathrm{}b_t}`$ which take values in all irreducible representations of the $`d`$-dimensional massless Lorentz group $`o(d1,1)`$ described by the traceless Young tableaux with at most two rows such that the upper row has length $`s1`$

(2.5)
In other words, the 1-forms $`dx^{\underset{¯}{n}}\omega _{\underset{¯}{n}}^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b_1\mathrm{}b_t}`$ are symmetric in the Lorentz vector indices $`a_i`$ and $`b_j`$ separately and satisfy the relations $`\omega _{\underset{¯}{n}}{}_{}{}^{\{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},a_s\}b_2\mathrm{}b_t}=0`$, $`\omega _{\underset{¯}{n}}{}_{c}{}^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s3}c}{}_{}{}^{,b_1\mathrm{}b_t}=0.`$ (From here it follows that all other traces of the fiber indices are also zero.) For the case $`t=0`$, the field $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ identifies with the dynamical spin $`s`$ frame type field $`e^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$.

The formalism of  works both in $`(A)dS_d`$ and in flat space. In $`(A)dS_d`$ it allows to build the free HS actions in terms of manifestly gauge invariant linearized (Abelian) field strengths. Explicit form of these linearized curvatures provides the starting point towards determination of nonabelian HS symmetries and HS curvatures. For the case of $`d=4`$ this program was realized in . Here we extend these results to the bosonic HS theory in any dimension. To this end it is convenient to use the observation of  that the collection of the HS 1-forms $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b_1\mathrm{}b_t}`$ with all $`0ts1`$ can be interpreted as a result of the “dimensional reduction” of a 1-form $`\omega ^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}`$ carrying the irreducible representation of $`o(d1,2)`$ or $`o(d,1)`$ $`(A,B=0,\mathrm{},d)`$ described by the traceless two-row rectangular Young tableau of length $`s1`$

$$\omega ^{\{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},A_s\}B_2\mathrm{}B_{s1}}=0,\omega ^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s3}C}{}_{C,}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}=0.$$
(2.6)
Let us first recall how this approach works in the gravity case. $`d`$ dimensional gravity can be described by a 1-form connection $`\omega ^{AB}=\omega ^{BA}`$ of the $`(A)dS`$ Lie algebra $`(o(d,1))`$ $`o(d1,2)`$. The Lorentz subalgebra $`o(d1,1)`$ is identified with the stability subalgebra of some vector $`V^A`$. Since we are discussing local Lorentz symmetry, this vector can be chosen differently in different points of space-time, thus becoming a field $`V^A=V^A(x)`$. The norm of this vector is convenient to relate to the cosmological constant $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ so that $`V^A`$ has dimension of length

$$V^AV_A=\mathrm{\Lambda }^1.$$
(2.7)
$`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ is supposed to be negative and positive in the $`AdS`$ and $`dS`$ cases, respectively (within the mostly minus signature). This allows for a covariant definition of the frame field and Lorentz connection

$$E^A=D(V^A)dV^A+\omega ^{AB}V_B,\omega ^{LAB}=\omega ^{AB}+\mathrm{\Lambda }(E^AV^BE^BV^A).$$
(2.8)
According to these definitions $`E^AV_A=0,`$ $`D^LV^A=dV^A+\omega ^{LAB}V_B0.`$ When the frame $`E_{\underset{¯}{n}}^A`$ has the maximal rank $`d`$ it gives rise to a nondegenerate metric tensor $`g_{\underset{¯}{n}\underset{¯}{m}}=E_{\underset{¯}{n}}^AE_{\underset{¯}{m}}^B\eta _{AB}.`$ The torsion 2-form is $`r^ADE^Ar^{AB}V_B.`$ The zero-torsion condition $`r^A=0`$ expresses the Lorentz connection via (derivatives of) the frame field in a usual manner. The $`V^A`$ transversal components of the curvature (2.9) $`r^{AB}`$ identify with the Riemann tensor shifted by the term bilinear in the frame 1-form. As a result, any field $`\omega _0`$ satisfying the zero-curvature equation

$$r^{AB}=d\omega _0^{AB}+\omega _0^A{}_{C}{}^{}\omega _0^{CB}=0,$$
(2.9)
describes $`(A)dS_d`$ space-time with the cosmological term $`\mathrm{\Lambda }`$ provided that the metric tensor is nondegenerate.

The Lorentz irreducible HS connections $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b_1\mathrm{}b_t}`$ are the $`d`$-dimensional traceless parts of those components of $`\omega ^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}`$ which are parallel to $`V^A`$ in $`st1`$ indices and transversal in the rest ones. Let some solution of (2.9) which describes the $`(A)dS_d`$ background be fixed. The linearized HS curvature $`R_1`$ has the following simple form

$`R_1^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}`$ $`=`$ $`D_0(\omega _1^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}})=d\omega _1^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}`$ (2.10)
$`+(s1)(\omega _0^{\{A_1}{}_{C}{}^{}\omega _1^{CA_2\mathrm{}A_{s1}\},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}+\omega _0^{\{B_1}{}_{C}{}^{}\omega _1^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},CB_2\mathrm{}B_{s1}\}}).`$
It is manifestly invariant under the linearized $`HS`$ gauge transformations

$$\delta \omega {}_{}{}^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}(x)=D_0\epsilon {}_{}{}^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}(x)$$
(2.11)
because $`D_0^2R(\omega _0)=0`$. The $`(A)dS`$ covariant form of the free HS action of  is

$`S_2^s`$ $`=`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{1}{2}}{\displaystyle \underset{p=0}{\overset{s2}{}}}a(s,p)ϵ_{A_1\mathrm{}A_{d+1}}{\displaystyle _{M^d}}E_0^{A_5}\mathrm{}E_0^{A_d}V^{A_{d+1}}V_{C_1}\mathrm{}V_{C_{2(s2p)}}`$ (2.12)
$`R_1^{A_1B_1\mathrm{}B_{s2}}{}_{,}{}^{}{}_{}{}^{A_2C_1\mathrm{}C_{s2p}D_1\mathrm{}D_p}R_1^{A_3}{}_{B_1\mathrm{}B_{s2},}{}^{A_4C_{s1p}\mathrm{}C_{2(s2p)}}{}_{D_1\mathrm{}D_p}{}^{},`$
where $`E_0^A=D_0(V^A)`$. The coefficients

$$a(s,p)=\stackrel{~}{a}(s)(\mathrm{\Lambda })^{(sp1)}\frac{(d5+2(sp2))!!(sp1)}{(sp2)!}$$
(2.13)
are fixed by the condition that the action is independent of all those components of $`\omega _1^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}`$ for which $`V_{B_1}V_{B_2}\omega _1^{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1},B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}0`$. As a result of this condition, the free action (2.12) depends only on the frame type dynamical HS field $`e^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ and the Lorentz connection type auxiliary field $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}`$ expressed in terms of the first derivatives of $`e^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ by virtue of its equation of motion equivalent to the “zero torsion condition”

$$0=T_1{}_{A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1}}{}^{}R_{1A_1\mathrm{}A_{s1}}{}_{,B_1\mathrm{}B_{s1}}{}^{}V_{}^{B_1}\mathrm{}V^{B_{s1}}.$$
(2.14)
Plugging the expression for $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b}`$ back into (2.12) gives rise to the free HS action expressed entirely (modulo total derivatives) in terms of $`e_{\underset{¯}{n}}^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ and its first derivatives. Since the linearized curvatures (2.10) are invariant under the Abelian HS gauge transformations (2.11), the resulting action has required HS gauge symmetries and therefore describes the free field HS dynamics in $`(A)dS_d`$. In particular, the generalized Lorentz type transformations with the gauge parameter (2.3) guarantee that only the totally symmetric part of the gauge field $`e_{\underset{¯}{n}}^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1}}`$ equivalent to $`\phi _{m_1\mathrm{}m_s}`$ contributes to the action. Although this action is defined to be independent of the “extra fields” $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b_1\mathrm{}b_t}`$ with $`t2`$, one has to express the extra fields in terms of the dynamical HS fields because they contribute beyond the linearized approximation. The fields $`\omega ^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{s1},b_1\mathrm{}b_t}`$ with $`t>0`$ express via up to order $`t`$ derivatives of the dynamical field by virtue of certain constraints  analogous to the zero torsion condition in gravity. As a result, the condition that the free action is independent of the extra fields is equivalent to the condition that it does not contain higher derivatives.

## 3 $`(A)dS_d`$ bosonic higher spin algebra

From the analysis of section 2 it is clear that, to reproduce the correct set of HS gauge fields, one has to find such an algebra $`g`$ which contains $`h=o(d1,2)`$ or $`h=o(d,1)`$ as a subalgebra and decomposes under the adjoint action of $`h`$ in $`g`$ into a sum of irreducible finite-dimensional modules over $`h`$ described by various two-row rectangular traceless Young tableaux. Such an algebra was described recently by Eastwood in  as the algebra of conformal HS symmetries of the free massless Klein-Gordon equation in $`d1`$ dimensions. Here we give a slightly different definition of this algebra which is more suitable for the analysis of the HS interactions.

Consider oscillators $`Y_i^A`$ with $`i=1,2`$ satisfying the commutation relations

$$[Y_i^A,Y_j^B]_{}=\epsilon _{ij}\eta ^{AB},\epsilon _{ij}=\epsilon _{ji},\epsilon _{12}=1,$$
(3.1)
where $`\eta ^{AB}`$ is the invariant symmetric form of $`o(n,m)`$. For example, one can interpret these oscillators as conjugated coordinates and momenta $`Y_1^A=P^A`$, $`Y_2^B=Y^B`$. $`\eta _{AB}`$ and $`\epsilon ^{ij}`$ will be used to raise and lower indices in the usual manner $`A^A=\eta ^{AB}A_B`$, $`a^i=\epsilon ^{ij}a_j`$, $`a_i=a^j\epsilon _{ji}.`$

We use the Weyl (Moyal) star product

$$(fg)(Y)=\frac{1}{\pi ^{2(d+1)}}𝑑S𝑑Tf(Y+S)g(Y+T)\mathrm{exp}2S_i^AT_A^i.$$
(3.2)
$`[f,g]_{}=fggf`$, $`\{f,g\}_{}=fg+gf`$. The associative algebra of polynomials with the $``$ product law generated via (3.1) is called Weyl algebra $`A_{n+m}`$. Its generic element is $`f(Y)=\varphi _{A_1\mathrm{}A_n}^{i_1\mathrm{}i_n}Y_{i_1}^{A_1}\mathrm{}Y_{i_n}^{A_n}`$ or, equivalently,

$$f(Y)=\underset{m,n}{}f_{A_1\mathrm{}A_m,B_1\mathrm{}B_n}Y_1^{A_1}\mathrm{}Y_1^{A_m}Y_2^{B_1}\mathrm{}Y_2^{B_n}$$
(3.3)
with the coefficients $`f_{A_1\mathrm{}A_m,B_1\mathrm{}B_n}`$ symmetric in the indices $`A_i`$ and $`B_j`$.

Various bilinears built from the oscillators $`Y_i^A`$ form the Lie algebra $`sp(2(n+m))`$ with respect to star commutators. It contains the subalgebra $`o(n,m)sp(2)`$ spanned by the mutually commuting generators

$$T^{AB}=T^{BA}=\frac{1}{2}Y^{iA}Y_i^B,t_{ij}=t_{ji}=Y_i^AY_{jA}.$$
(3.4)
Consider the subalgebra $`S`$ spanned by the $`sp(2)`$ singlets $`f(Y)`$

$$[t_{ij},f(Y)]_{}=0.$$
(3.5)
Eq.(3.5) is equivalent to $`\left(Y^{Ai}\frac{}{Y_j^A}+Y^{Aj}\frac{}{Y_i^A}\right)f(Y)=0.`$ For the expansion (3.3) this condition implies that the coefficients $`f_{A_1\mathrm{}A_m,B_1\mathrm{}B_n}`$ are nonzero only if $`n=m`$ and that symmetrization over any $`m+1`$ indices of $`f_{A_1\mathrm{}A_m,B_1\mathrm{}B_m}`$ gives zero, i.e. they have the symmetry properties of a two-row rectangular Young tableau. As a result, the gauge fields of $`S`$ are

$$\omega (Y|x)=\underset{l=0}{\overset{\mathrm{}}{}}\omega _{A_1\mathrm{}A_l,B_1\mathrm{}B_l}(x)Y_1^{A_1}\mathrm{}Y_1^{A_l}Y_2^{B_1}\mathrm{}Y_2^{B_l}$$
(3.6)
with the component gauge fields $`\omega _{A_1\mathrm{}A_l,B_1\mathrm{}B_l}(x)`$ taking values in all two-row rectangular Young tableaux of $`o(n+m)`$.

The algebra $`S`$ is not simple. It contains the two-sided ideal $`I`$ spanned by the elements of the form

$$g=t_{ij}g^{ij},$$
(3.7)
where $`g^{ij}`$ transforms as a symmetric tensor with respect to $`sp(2)`$, i.e., $`[t_{ij},g^{kl}]_{}=\delta _i^kg_j{}_{}{}^{l}+\delta _j^kg_i{}_{}{}^{l}+\delta _i^lg_j{}_{}{}^{k}+\delta _j^lg_i^k`$. (Note that $`t_{ij}g^{ij}=g^{ij}t_{ij}`$.) Actually, from (3.5) it follows that $`fg,gfI`$$`fS`$, $`gI`$. Due to the definition (3.4) of $`t_{ij}`$, the ideal $`I`$ contains all traces of the two-row Young tableaux. As a result, the algebra $`S/I`$ has only traceless two-row tableaux in the expansion (3.6). (Let us note that this factorization is not optional because some of the traces of two-row rectangular tableaux are not themselves two-row rectangular tableaux and may not admit a straightforward interpretation in terms of HS fields.) The algebra $`S/I`$ was identified by Eastwood in  as conformal HS algebra in $`d1`$ dimensions.

For the complex algebra $`S/I`$ we will use notation $`hgl(1/sp(2)[n+m]|𝐂)`$. Its real form corresponding to a unitary HS theory in the $`AdS`$ case of $`n=2`$ will be called $`hu(1/sp(2)[n,m])`$. The meaning of this notation is as follows. According to , $`hgl(p,q|2r)`$ is the superalgebra of $`(p+q)\times (p+q)`$ matrices whose elements are arbitrary even (odd) power polynomials of $`2r`$ pairs of oscillators in the diagonal (off-diagonal) blocks. Because of the $`sp(2)`$ invariance condition (3.5), in our case only even functions of oscillators appear. So we discard the label $`q`$ in the notation $`hgl(p,q|2r)`$. The label $`sp(2)[n,m]`$ means that the appropriate quotient of the centralizer in $`hgl(1|2(n+m))`$ with respect to the $`sp(2)`$ subalgebra, which commutes with the $`o(n,m)`$ spanned by bilinears of oscillators, is taken. $`o(n,m)`$ is the subalgebra of $`hu(1/sp(2)[n,m])`$.

Note that the described construction of the HS algebra is analogous to that of the $`AdS_7`$ HS algebra given by Sezgin and Sundell in  in terms of spinor oscillators with the symmetric $`7d`$ charge conjugation matrix in place of the metric tensor in (3.1). Also let us note that the key role of the algebra $`sp(2)`$ in the analysis of HS dynamics explained below is reminiscent of the role of $`sp(2)`$ in the two-time approach developed by Bars . In , the $`sp(2)`$ invariant technics was applied to the description of interacting massless fields. The important difference is that in our case the $`sp(2)`$ invariance condition acts in the fiber space described by polynomials of the auxiliary variables $`Y_i^A`$, reducing the set of fields appropriately, while the $`sp(2)`$ algebra in the models of  acts on the base.

## 4 Twisted adjoint representation and <br>Central On-Mass-Shell theorem

Now we are in a position to define the twisted adjoint representation which describes the HS Weyl 0-forms. Let a HS algebra admit such an involutive automorphism $`\tau `$ (i.e., $`\tau (fg)=\tau (f)\tau (g)`$, $`\tau ^2=1`$) that its action on the elements of the $`(A)dS_d`$ subalgebra is

$$\tau (P^a)=P^a,\tau (L^{ab})=L^{ab}.$$
(4.1)
Once the Lorentz algebra is singled out by the compensator, the automorphism $`\tau `$ describes the reflection with respect to the compensator vector. In particular, for the HS algebra under investigation we set $`\tau (Y_i^A)=\stackrel{~}{Y}_i^A,`$ where

$$\stackrel{~}{A}^A=A^A\frac{2}{V^2}V^AV_BA^B.$$
(4.2)
for any vector $`A^A`$. Let us introduce notations

$$A_i^A={}_{}{}^{}A_{i}^{A}+{}_{}{}^{}A_{i}^{A},{}_{}{}^{}A_{i}^{A}=\frac{1}{V^2}V^AV_BA_i^B,{}_{}{}^{}A_{i}^{A}=A_i^A\frac{1}{V^2}V^AV_BA_i^B.$$
(4.3)
We have $`{}_{}{}^{}\stackrel{~}{A}_{i}^{A}={}_{}{}^{}A_{i}^{A}`$ and $`{}_{}{}^{}\stackrel{~}{A}_{i}^{A}={}_{}{}^{}A_{i}^{A}`$. The action of $`\tau `$ on a general element is

$$\tau (f(Y))=\stackrel{~}{f}(Y)f(\stackrel{~}{Y}).$$
(4.4)
It is elementary to see that $`\tau `$ is an automorphism of the Weyl algebra. Since $`\tau (t_{ij})=t_{ij}`$, the same is true for the HS algebra. To simplify analysis we will assume that $`\tau `$ is $`x`$-independent that requires $`V^A`$ to be $`x`$-independent.

Let $`C(Y|x)`$ be a 0-form in the HS algebra linear space, i.e. $`[t_{ij},C]_{}=0`$ with the ideal $`I`$ factored out. The covariant derivative in the twisted adjoint representation is

$$\stackrel{~}{D}(C)=dC+\omega CC\stackrel{~}{\omega },$$
(4.5)
Central On-Mass-Shell theorem formulated in  in terms of Lorentz components of $`C(Y|x)`$ states that the equations for totally symmetric free massless fields in $`(A)dS_d`$ can be formulated in the form

$$R_1({}_{}{}^{}Y,{}_{}{}^{}Y)=\frac{1}{2}E_0^AE_0^B\frac{^2}{Y_i^AY_j^B}\epsilon _{ij}C(0,{}_{}{}^{}Y),$$
(4.6)
$$\stackrel{~}{D}_0(C)=0,$$
(4.7)
where $`R_1(Y)=d\omega (Y)+\omega _0\omega +\omega \omega _0,`$ $`\stackrel{~}{D}_0(C)=dC+\omega _0CC\stackrel{~}{\omega }_0`$ and $`\omega _0=\omega _0^{AB}(x)T_{AB}`$ where $`\omega _0^{AB}(x)`$ satisfies (2.9) to describe the $`(A)dS_d`$ background.

The components of the expansion of the 0-forms $`C(0,{}_{}{}^{}Y)`$ on the r.h.s. of (4.6) in powers of $`Y_i^A`$ are $`V`$ transversal. These are the HS Weyl 0-forms $`c^{a_1\mathrm{}a_s,b_1\mathrm{}b_s}`$ described by the traceless two-row rectangular Lorentz Young tableaux of length $`s`$. They parametrize those components of the HS field strengths that remain nonvanishing when the field equations and constraints on extra fields are satisfied. For example, the Weyl tensor in gravity ($`s=2`$) parametrizes the components of the Riemann tensor allowed to be nonvanishing when the zero-torsion constraint and Einstein equations (requiring the Ricci tensor to vanish) are imposed. The equation (4.7) describes the consistency conditions for the HS equations and also dynamical equations for spins 0 and 1. (Dynamics of a massless scalar was described this way in .) In addition they express an infinite set of auxiliary fields contained in $`C`$ in terms of derivatives of the dynamical HS fields.

The key fact is that the equations (4.6) and (4.7) are consistent, i.e., the application of the covariant derivative to the l.h.s. of (4.6) and (4.7) does not lead to new conditions. The only nontrivial point is to check that

$$\epsilon _{ij}D_0\left(E_0^AE_0^B\frac{^2}{Y_i^AY_j^B}C(0,{}_{}{}^{}Y)\right)=0$$
(4.8)
as a consequence of (4.7). It is convenient to use the following forms of the covariant derivatives in the adjoint and twisted adjoint representations

$$D_0=D_0^L\mathrm{\Lambda }E_0^AV^B\left({}_{}{}^{}Y_{Ai}^{}\frac{}{{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{B}}{}_{}{}^{}Y_{Bi}^{}\frac{}{{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{A}}\right),$$
(4.9)
$$\stackrel{~}{D}_0=D_0^L2\mathrm{\Lambda }E_0^AV^B\left({}_{}{}^{}Y_{A}^{i}{}_{}{}^{}Y_{Bi}^{}\frac{1}{4}\epsilon ^{ji}\frac{}{{}_{}{}^{}Y_{}^{Aj}{}_{}{}^{}Y_{}^{Bi}}\right),$$
(4.10)
where the Lorentz covariant derivative is $`D_0^L=d+\omega _0^{LAB}{}_{}{}^{}Y_{Ai}^{}\frac{}{{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{B}}.`$ One observes that $`D_0^L`$ commutes with $`E_0^AE_0^B\frac{^2}{Y_i^AY_j^B}\epsilon _{ij}`$. As a result, it remains to check the frame dependent terms. These all vanish either because the r.h.s. of (4.6) is $`{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{A}`$–independent or because of the identity $`E_0^AE_0^BE_0^C\frac{^3}{Y_i^AY_j^BY_k^C}C(Y)0`$ valid as a consequence of the total antisymmetrization over the indices $`i,j`$ and $`k`$ which take two values (equivalently, because the $`C(Y)`$ does not contain Young tableaux with more than two rows).

The adjoint covariant derivative (4.9) and twisted adjoint covariant derivative (4.10) commute with the operators $`N^{ad}`$ and $`N^{tw}`$, respectively,

$$N^{ad}=Y_i^A\frac{}{Y_i^A},N^{tw}={}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{A}\frac{}{{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{A}}{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{A}\frac{}{{}_{}{}^{}Y_{i}^{A}}.$$
(4.11)
This means that the free field equations (4.6) and (4.7) decompose into independent subsystems for the sets of fields satisfying

$$N^{ad}\omega =2(s1)\omega ,N^{tw}C=2sC,s0.$$
(4.12)
(Note that the operator $`N^{tw}`$ does not have negative eigenvalues when acting on tensors with the symmetry property of a two-row rectangular Young tableau because having more than a half of vector indices aligned along $`V^A`$ would imply symmetrization over more than a half of indices, thus giving zero.)

The set of fields singled out by (4.12) describes a massless spin $`s`$. As expected, the massless scalar field is described only in terms of the 0-form $`C(Y|x)`$, having no associated gauge field. In terms of Lorentz irreducible components, the spin $`s`$ gauge connections take values in the representations (2.5) with various $`0ts1`$ while the spin $`s`$ Weyl tensors take values in the Lorentz representations with various $`ps`$. (Note that the missed cells compared to the rectangular diagram of the length of the upper row correspond to the Lorentz invariant direction along $`V^A`$.) We see that the twisted adjoint action of the $`(A)dS_d`$ algebra on the HS algebra decomposes into an infinite set of infinite-dimensional submodules associated with different spins, while its adjoint action decomposes into an infinite set of finite-dimensional submodules. This fits the fact (see e.g. ), that the space of physical states is described by the 0-form sector which therefore has to form an infinite module over a space-time symmetry for any dynamical system with infinite number of degrees of freedom.

## 5 Nonlinear equations

Following to the standard approach in HS theory  we will look for a nonlinear deformation of the free field equations (4.6) and (4.7) in the form of a free differential algebra $`dW^\alpha =F^\alpha (W),`$ satisfying the consistency condition $`F^\beta \frac{\delta F^\alpha }{\delta W^\beta }0,`$ where $`W^\alpha `$ describes all dynamical variables in the system (i.e. all 1-forms $`\omega `$ and 0-forms $`C`$ in our case). The equations (4.6) and (4.7) acquire nonlinear corrections once the fields $`\omega _0`$ and $`\omega `$ are interpreted, respectively, as the vacuum and fluctuational parts of some dynamical field. In this case one has to replace the background covariant derivatives by the full ones that gives rise to nontrivial Bianchi relations because $`D^2`$ is proportional to the generalized Weyl tensors (in particular, to the usual Weyl tensor in the spin 2 sector). As shown in  the key principle that fixes a form of the $`4d`$ nonlinear field equations found in  is the condition that the local Lorentz symmetry remains a proper subalgebra of the infinite-dimensional HS algebra. This requirement guarantees that the nonlinear theory can be interpreted in terms of usual (finite-component) tensor fields. Otherwise, a deformation of the algebra might affect the form of the commutator of the Lorentz generators which may get admixture of infinity of HS generators with field-dependent coefficients. The same principle was used for the derivation of $`3d`$ equations . The observation that allows us to build bosonic HS equations in any $`d`$ is that in this case one has to require the $`sp(2)`$ algebra, which singles out the HS algebra spanned by two-row rectangular tensor elements, to remain undeformed at the nonlinear level. Otherwise, the condition (3.5) would not allow a meaningful extension beyond the free field level, i.e., the resulting system may admit no interpretation in terms of the original HS tensor fields described by two-row rectangular Young tableaux, allowing, for example, nonlinear corrections in sectors of tensors which are absent at the linearized level.

The formulation of nonlinear HS equations in any dimension is nearly identical to that of $`4d`$ and $`3d`$ HS field equations given in  in terms of spinors. First, we double a number of oscillators $`Y_i^A(Z_i^A,Y_i^A)`$. The space of functions $`f(Z,Y)`$ is endowed with the star product

$$(fg)(Z,Y)=\frac{1}{\pi ^{2(d+1)}}𝑑S𝑑Tf(Z+S,Y+S)g(ZT,Y+T)\mathrm{exp}2S_i^AT_A^i,$$
(5.1)
which is associative, normalized so that $`1f=f1=f`$ and gives rise to the commutation relations

$$[Y_i^A,Y_j^B]_{}=\epsilon _{ij}\eta ^{AB},[Z_i^A,Z_j^B]_{}=\epsilon _{ij}\eta ^{AB},[Y_i^A,Z_j^B]_{}=0.$$
(5.2)
The star product (5.1) describes a normal-ordered basis in $`A_{2(n+m)}`$ with respect to creation and annihilation operators $`ZY`$ and $`Y+Z`$, respectively. For $`Z`$ independent elements (5.1) coincides with (3.2). The following useful formulae are true

$$Y_i^A=Y_i^A+\frac{1}{2}(\frac{}{Y_A^i}\frac{}{Z_A^i}),Z_i^A=Z_i^A+\frac{1}{2}(\frac{}{Y_A^i}\frac{}{Z_A^i}),$$
(5.3)
$$Y_i^A=Y_i^A\frac{1}{2}(\frac{}{Y_A^i}+\frac{}{Z_A^i}),Z_i^A=Z_i^A+\frac{1}{2}(\frac{}{Y_A^i}+\frac{}{Z_A^i}).$$
(5.4)
Important property of the star product (5.1) is that it admits inner Klein operators. Indeed, it is elementary to see with the aid of (5.1) that the element

$$𝒦=\mathrm{exp}2z_iy^i,$$
(5.5)
where

$$y_i=\frac{1}{\sqrt{V^2}}V_BY_i^B,z_i=\frac{1}{\sqrt{V^2}}V_BZ_i^B$$
(5.6)
has the properties

$$𝒦f=\stackrel{~}{f}𝒦,𝒦𝒦=1,$$
(5.7)
where $`\stackrel{~}{f}(Z,Y)=f(\stackrel{~}{Z},\stackrel{~}{Y})`$. This follows from the following formulae

$$𝒦f=\mathrm{exp}2z_iy^if(Z_i^A\frac{1}{V^2}V^AV_B(Z_i^BY_i^B),Y_i^A+\frac{1}{V^2}V^AV_B(Z_i^BY_i^B)),$$
(5.8)
$$f𝒦=\mathrm{exp}2z_iy^if(Z_i^A\frac{1}{V^2}V^AV_B(Z_i^B+Y_i^B),Y_i^A\frac{1}{V^2}V^AV_B(Z_i^B+Y_i^B)).$$
(5.9)
We introduce the fields $`W(Z,Y|x)`$, $`B(Z,Y|x)`$ and $`S(Z,Y|x)`$, where $`B(Z,Y|x)`$ is a 0-form while $`W(Z,Y|x)`$ and $`S(Z,Y|x)`$ are connection 1-forms in space-time and auxiliary $`Z_i^A`$ directions, respectively

$$W(Z,Y|x)=dx^{\underset{¯}{n}}W_{\underset{¯}{n}}(Z,Y|x),S(Z,Y|x)=dZ_i^AS_A^i(Z,Y|x).$$
(5.10)
The fields $`\omega `$ and $`C`$ are identified with the “initial data” for the evolution in $`Z`$ variables

$$\omega (Y|x)=W(0,Y|x),C(Y|x)=B(0,Y|x).$$
(5.11)
The $`Z`$ \- connection $`S`$ will be determined modulo gauge ambiguity in terms of $`B`$. The differentials satisfy the standard anticommutation relations $`dx^{\underset{¯}{n}}dx^{\underset{¯}{m}}=dx^{\underset{¯}{m}}dx^{\underset{¯}{n}},`$ $`dZ_i^AdZ_j^B=dZ_j^BdZ_i^A,`$ $`dx^{\underset{¯}{n}}dZ_j^B=dZ_j^Bdx^{\underset{¯}{n}}`$ and commute to all other variables (from now on we discard the wedge symbol).

The full nonlinear system of HS equations is

$$dW+WW=0,$$
(5.12)
$$dS+WS+SW=0,$$
(5.13)
$$dB+WBB\stackrel{~}{W}=0,$$
(5.14)
$$SB=B\stackrel{~}{S},$$
(5.15)
$$SS=\frac{1}{2}(dZ_i^AdZ_A^i+4\mathrm{\Lambda }^1dz_idz^iB𝒦),$$
(5.16)
where $`\stackrel{~}{S}(dZ,Z,Y)=S(\stackrel{~}{dZ},\stackrel{~}{Z},\stackrel{~}{Y})`$ and $`dz_i=\frac{1}{\sqrt{V^2}}V_BdZ_i^B`$. In terms of a noncommutative connection $`𝒲=d+W+S`$ the system (5.12)-(5.16) reads

$$𝒲𝒲=\frac{1}{2}(dZ_i^AdZ_A^i+4\mathrm{\Lambda }^1dz_idz^iB𝒦),𝒲B=B\stackrel{~}{𝒲}.$$
(5.17)
We see that $`dz_idz^iB𝒦`$ is the only nonzero component of the curvature. Note that $`B`$ has dimension $`cm^2`$ to match the Central On-Mas-Shell theorem (4.6) upon identification of $`B`$ with $`C`$ in the lowest order. So, $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^1B`$ is dimensionless. Since the $`B`$ dependent part of the equation (5.16) is responsible for interactions, this indicates that taking the flat limit may be difficult in the interacting theory if there is no other contributions to the cosmological constant due to some condensates which break the HS gauge symmetries.

The system is formally consistent in the sense that the associativity relations $`𝒲(𝒲𝒲)=(𝒲𝒲)𝒲`$ and $`(𝒲𝒲)B=B(𝒲𝒲)`$, equivalent to Bianchi identities, are respected by the equations (5.12)-(5.16). The only nontrivial part of this property might be that for the relationship $`(SS)S=S(SS)`$ in the sector of $`(dz_i)^3`$ due to the second term on the r.h.s. of (5.16) since $`B𝒦`$ commutes with everything except $`dz_i`$ to which it anticommutes. However, this does not break the consistency of the system because $`(dz_i)^30`$. As a result, the equations (5.12)-(5.16) are consistent as “differential” equations with respect to $`x`$ and $`Z`$ variables. A related statement is that the equations (5.12)-(5.16) are invariant under the gauge transformations

$$\delta 𝒲=[\epsilon ,𝒲]_{},\delta B=\epsilon BB\stackrel{~}{\epsilon }$$
(5.18)
with an arbitrary gauge parameter $`\epsilon (Z,Y|x)`$.

Let us show that the condition (3.5) admits a proper deformation to the full nonlinear theory, i.e. that there is a proper deformation $`t_{ij}^{int}`$ of $`t_{ij}`$ that allows us to impose the conditions

$$D(t_{ij}^{int})=0,[S,t_{ij}^{int}]_{}=0,B\stackrel{~}{t}_{ij}^{int}t_{ij}^{int}B=0,$$
(5.19)
which amount to the original conditions $`[t_{ij},W]_{}=[t_{ij},B]_{}=0`$ in the free field limit. Indeed, let us introduce the generators of the diagonal $`sp^{tot}(2)`$ algebra

$$t_{ij}^{tot}=Y_i^AY_{Aj}Z_i^AZ_{jA}.$$
(5.20)
In any $`sp(2)`$ covariant gauge (in which $`S_A^i`$ is expressed in terms of $`B`$ with no external $`sp(2)`$ noninvariant parameters - see below) $`sp^{tot}(2)`$ acts on $`S_A^i`$ as $`[t_{ij}^{tot},S_n^A]_{}=\epsilon _{in}S_j^A+\epsilon _{jn}S_i^A`$ provided that $`B`$ is a $`sp(2)`$ singlet.

Setting $`S=dZ_i^AS_A^i`$, the equation (5.16) gets the form $`[S_A^i,S_B^j]_{}=\epsilon ^{ij}(\eta _{AB}4V_AV_BB𝒦).`$ From (5.15) and (5.7) it follows that

$$S_A^iB𝒦=B𝒦(S_A^i\frac{2}{V^2}V^AV^BS_B^i).$$
(5.21)
As a result, we get

$$[s^i,s^j]_{}=\epsilon ^{ij}(1+4\mathrm{\Lambda }^1B𝒦),s^iB𝒦=B𝒦s^i,s^i=\frac{1}{\sqrt{V^2}}V^AS_A^i$$
(5.22)
and $`[{}_{}{}^{}S_{A}^{i},s^j]_{}=0`$, $`[{}_{}{}^{}S_{A}^{i},{}_{}{}^{}S_{B}^{j}]_{}=\epsilon ^{ij}{}_{}{}^{}\eta _{AB}^{}`$. The commutation relations (5.22) have a form of the deformed oscillator algebra  originally found by Wigner in  in a particular representation. Its key property is that the operators $`𝒯_{ij}=\frac{1}{2}\{S_i^A,S_{Aj}\}_{}`$ form $`sp(2)`$ and $`[𝒯_{ij},S_n^A]_{}=\epsilon _{in}S_j^A+\epsilon _{jn}S_i^A.`$

As a result, the operators

$$t_{ij}^{int}=t_{ij}^{tot}𝒯_{ij}$$
(5.23)
form $`sp(2)`$ and commute with $`S_i^A`$. The conditions (5.19) are equivalent to the usual $`sp(2)`$ invariance conditions for the fields $`W`$ and $`B`$ and are identically satisfied on $`S_i^A`$, which essentially means that nonlinear corrections due to the evolution along $`Z`$-directions in the noncommutative space do not affect $`sp(2)`$. In the free field limit with $`S_i^A=Z_i^A`$, $`t_{ij}^{int}`$ coincides with (3.4). One uses $`t_{ij}^{int}`$ in the nonlinear model the same way as $`t_{ij}`$ (3.4) in the free one to impose (5.19) and to factor out the respective ideal $`I^{int}`$. This guarantees that the nonlinear field equations described by Eqs.(5.12)-(5.16) and (5.19) make sense for the HS fields associated with $`hu(1/sp(2)[n,m])`$.

## 6 Perturbative analysis

The perturbative analysis of the equations (5.12)-(5.16) is analogous to that carried out in spinor notations in  for the $`4d`$ case. Let us set

$$W=W_0+W_1,S=S_0+S_1,B=B_0+B_1$$
(6.1)
with the vacuum solution

$$B_0=0,S_0=dZ_i^AZ_A^i,W_0=\frac{1}{2}\omega _0^{AB}(x)Y_A^iY_{iB},$$
(6.2)
where $`\omega _0^{AB}(x)`$ satisfies the zero curvature conditions to describe $`(A)dS_d`$. From (5.15) and (6.2) we get

$$B_1=C(Y|x).$$
(6.3)
Let us consider the equation (5.16). First of all we observe that using the gauge ambiguity (5.18) we can set all components of $`{}_{}{}^{}S_{1i}^{A}`$ equal to zero, i.e. to set $`S_1=dz_is_1^i(z,Y|x).`$ The leftover gauge symmetry parameters are $`{}_{}{}^{}Z`$ independent. The equations (5.13) and (5.15) then require the fields $`W`$ and $`B`$ also to be $`{}_{}{}^{}Z`$ independent. So, the dependence on $`Z`$ now enters only through $`z_i`$. As a result, (5.16) amounts to the first equation in (5.22). With the help of (5.9) one obtains in the first order

$$^is_1^j^js_1^i=4\mathrm{\Lambda }^1\epsilon ^{ij}C({}_{}{}^{}Z,{}_{}{}^{}Y)\mathrm{exp}2z_ky^k,$$
(6.4)
where $`^i=\frac{}{z_i}`$ The generic solution of this equation is

$$s_1^j=^j\epsilon _1+2\mathrm{\Lambda }^1z^j_0^1𝑑ttC(t{}_{}{}^{}Z,{}_{}{}^{}Y)\mathrm{exp}2tz_iy^i.$$
(6.5)
The ambiguity in the function $`\epsilon _1=\epsilon _1(Z,Y|x)`$ manifests invariance under the gauge transformations (5.18). It is convenient to fix a gauge by requiring $`^i\epsilon _1=0`$ in (6.5). (This gauge is covariant because it involves no external parameters carrying nontrivial representations of $`sp(2)`$.) This gauge fixing is not complete as it does not fix the gauge transformations with $`Z`$ independent parameters

$$\epsilon _1(Z,Y|x)=\epsilon _1(Y|x).$$
(6.6)
As a result, the field $`S`$ is expressed in terms of $`B`$. It is not surprising of course that the noncommutative gauge connection $`S`$ is reconstructed in terms of the noncommutative curvature $`B`$ modulo gauge transformations. The leftover gauge transformations with the parameter (6.6) identify with the HS gauge transformations acting on the physical HS fields.

Now, let us analyze the equation (5.13). In the first order, one gets

$$^iW_1=ds_1^i+W_0s_1^is_1^iW_0.$$
(6.7)
Using that generic solution of the equation $`\frac{}{z_i}\phi (z)=\chi ^i(z)`$ has the form $`\phi (z)=const+_0^1𝑑tz_i\chi ^i(tz)`$ provided that $`\frac{}{z^i}\chi ^i(z)0`$ and $`i=1,2,`$ one finds

$$W_1(Z,Y)=\omega (Y)Z_A^jV^A_0^1𝑑t(1t)e^{2tz_iy^i}E^B\frac{}{Y^{jB}}C(t{}_{}{}^{}Z,Y^{})$$
(6.8)
(note that the terms with $`z_idS^{1i}`$ vanish because $`z^iz_i0`$). Since, perturbatively, the system as a whole is a consistent system of differential equations with respect to $`\frac{}{z}`$ and $`\frac{}{x}`$ it is enough to analyze the equations (5.12) and (5.14) at $`Z=0`$. Thus, to derive dynamical HS equations, it remains to insert (6.8) into (5.12) and (6.3) into (5.14), interpreting $`\omega (Y|x)`$ and $`C(Y|x)`$ as generating functions for the HS fields. The elementary analysis of (5.12) at $`Z=0`$ with the help of (5.3) and (5.4) gives (4.6). For $`B=C`$, the equation (5.14) amounts to (4.7) in the lowest order. Thus it is shown that the linearized part of the HS equations (5.12)-(5.16) reproduces the Central On-Mass-Shell theorem for symmetric massless fields. The system (5.12)-(5.16) allows one to derive systematically all higher-order corrections to the free equations.

## 7 Discussion

The system of gauge invariant nonlinear dynamical equations for totally symmetric massless fields of all spins in $`AdS_d`$ presented in this paper can be generalized to a class of models with the Yang-Mills groups $`U(p)`$, $`USp(p)`$ or $`O(p)`$. This results from the observation that, analogously to the case of $`d=4`$ , the system (5.12)-(5.16) remains consistent for matrix valued fields $`WW_\alpha ^\beta `$, $`SS_\alpha ^\beta `$ and $`BB_\alpha ^\beta `$, $`\alpha ,\beta =1\mathrm{}p`$. Upon imposing the reality conditions

$$W^{}(Z,Y|x)=W(iZ,iY|x),S^{}(Z,Y|x)=S(iZ,iY|x),$$
(7.1)
$$B^{}(Z,Y|x)=\stackrel{~}{B}(iZ,iY|x)$$
(7.2)
this gives rise to a system with the global HS symmetry algebra $`hu(p/sp(2)[n,m])`$. Here all fields, including the spin 1 fields which correspond to the $`Z,Y`$-independent part of $`W_\alpha {}_{}{}^{\beta }(Z,Y|x)`$, take values in $`u(p)`$ which is the Yang-Mills algebra of the theory.

Combining the antiautomorphism of the star product algebra $`\rho (f(Z,Y))=f(iZ,iY)`$ with some antiautomorphism of the matrix algebra generated by a nondegenerate form $`\rho _{\alpha \beta }`$ one can impose the conditions

$$W_\alpha {}_{}{}^{\beta }(Z,Y|x)=\rho ^{\beta \gamma }\rho _{\delta \alpha }W_\gamma {}_{}{}^{\delta }(iZ,iY|x),S_\alpha {}_{}{}^{\beta }(Z,Y|x)=\rho ^{\beta \gamma }\rho _{\delta \alpha }S_\gamma {}_{}{}^{\delta }(iZ,iY|x),$$
(7.3)
$$B_\alpha {}_{}{}^{\beta }(Z,Y|x)=\rho ^{\beta \gamma }\rho _{\delta \alpha }\stackrel{~}{B}_\gamma {}_{}{}^{\delta }(iZ,iY|x),$$
(7.4)
which truncate the original system to the one with the Yang-Mills gauge group $`USp(p)`$ or $`O(p)`$ depending on whether the form $`\rho _{\alpha \beta }`$ is antisymmetric or symmetric, respectively. The corresponding global HS symmetry algebras are called $`husp(p/sp(2)[n,m])`$ and $`ho(p/sp(2)[n,m])`$, respectively. In this case all fields of odd spins take values in the adjoint representation of the Yang-Mills group while fields of even spins take values in the opposite symmetry second rank representation (i.e., symmetric for $`O(p)`$ and antisymmetric for $`USp(p)`$) which contains singlet. The graviton is always the singlet spin 2 particle in the theory. Color spin 2 particles are also included for general $`p`$ however.<sup>1</sup><sup>1</sup>1Let us note that this does not contradict to the no-go results of  because the theory under consideration does not allow a flat limit with unbroken HS symmetries and color spin 2 symmetries. The minimal HS theory is based on the algebra $`ho(1/sp(2)[n,m])`$. It describes even spin particles, each in one copy. (Odd spins do not appear because the adjoint representation of $`o(1)`$ is trivial.)

All HS models have essentially one dimensionless coupling constant $`g^2=|\mathrm{\Lambda }|^{\frac{d2}{2}}\kappa ^2`$, where $`\kappa ^2`$ is the gravitational constant. At the level of field equations it can be rescaled away by a field redefinition. The Yang-Mills coupling constant is $`g_{YM}^2=|\mathrm{\Lambda }|\kappa ^2`$. Unlikely to the $`4d`$ case of , for general $`d`$ we do not see a way for a consistent nontrivial modification of the system (5.12)-(5.16) that cannot be compensated by a field redefinition. This probably means that the interaction ambiguity in one function found in  is due to the possibility to treat independently the selfdual and anti-selfdual parts of the HS curvatures, that makes no sense for totally symmetric fields beyond $`d=4`$.

The results of this paper indicate that there may exist a large class of consistent HS theories in $`(A)dS_d`$ with different spin spectra. An important problem for the future is therefore to extend the obtained results beyond the class of totally symmetric gauge fields. A formulation of arbitrary symmetry free massless fields in the flat space-time is fairly well understood by now (see e.g., ). The general covariant formulation in $`(A)dS_d`$ is still lacking however, although a number of important contributions has been made. In particular, the light cone formulation of the equations of motion of generic massless fields in $`AdS_d`$  and actions for generic massless fields in $`AdS_5`$  were constructed by Metsaev. In  an approach to covariant description of an arbitrary representation of $`AdS_d`$ algebra $`o(d1,2)`$ was developed in the framework of the radial reduction technique. The unfolded formulation of a $`5d`$ HS theory with mixed symmetry fields was studied in  in the sector of Weyl 0-forms. The phenomenon of partial masslessness of HS fields in $`(A)dS`$ is another specificity of the dynamics in $`(A)dS_d`$  . Extension of flat space results to $`(A)dS_d`$ is not straightforward for mixed symmetry fields because irreducible massless systems in $`AdS_d`$ reduce in the flat limit to a collection of independent flat space massless fields .

## Acknowledgments

The author is grateful to Lars Brink for hospitality at the Chalmers University of Technology where a part of this work was done. This research was supported in part by INTAS, Grant No.00-01-254, and the RFBR, Grant No.02-02-17067.


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# Regular type of real hyper-surfaces in (almost) complex manifolds

## 1. Notations and main results

Let us first recall, in the almost complex case, the notions of “complex tangent space”, “complex vector fields”, “Levi form” and “pseudoconvexity” and derive some of their properties well known in the integrable case.

All along this paper, we will work with the following objects : let $`J`$ be an almost complex structure on $`^{2n}`$ (with $`J(0)=\mathrm{i}`$) and $`M`$ an oriented real hyper-surface through $`0`$ in $`^{2n}`$. Let $`T^JM=TMJTM`$ denote the $`J`$-invariant part of $`TM`$. The sections of $`T^JM`$ will be called $`J`$-tangent or complex tangent vector fields on $`M`$. We choose a vector field $`N`$ transversal to $`M`$ so that we have :

$$^{2n}=TMN\text{and}TM=T^JM(JN).$$

Let $`\varphi :^{2n}`$ be a defining function for $`M`$, i.e. a function such that $`M=\varphi ^1(0)`$, $`0`$ is a regular value of $`\varphi `$, and $`\varphi `$ defines the positive orientation of $`M`$ . Of course, if $`\psi `$ is another defining function of $`M`$, then there exists a non negative function $`f:^{2n}]0,+\mathrm{}[`$ such that $`\psi =f\varphi `$. Once a defining function $`\varphi `$ and a metric on $`^{2n}`$ are chosen, we can take $`N`$ to be the gradient $`\varphi `$ of $`\varphi `$ with respect to the metric.

The set $`M_+=\{\varphi >0\}`$ will be called the outside, and $`M_{}=\{\varphi <0\}`$ the inside defined by $`M`$.

The main purpose of this paper is to characterize the maximal contact order $`\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(p)`$ of $`M`$ with regular (eventually pseudo-) holomorphic disks at some point $`p`$ intrinsically, i.e. in terms of tangent vector fields on $`M`$. Recall that a germ of map $`u:(,0)(^{2n},0)`$ is pseudo-holomorphic with respect to $`J`$, or $`J`$-holomorphic if it satisfies the relation $`du+J(u)du\mathrm{i}=0`$. Since this should not produce any ambiguity, we will speak about “holomorphic” disks in both the integrable and the non integrable case, forgetting about the “pseudo” or $`J`$ prefix. The precise notions of contact and type we will work with are the following :

###### Definition 1.

Let $`u:(\mathrm{\Delta },0)(^{2n},0)`$ be a (pseudo-)holomorphic disk mapping $`0`$ to $`0`$, and regular i.e. such that $`du(0)0`$. Its contact order $`\delta _0(M,u)`$ with $`M`$ at $`0`$ is the degree of the first term in the Taylor expansion of $`\varphi u`$.

###### Definition 2.

Let $`𝒟_{\mathrm{r}eg}`$ be the set of all germs of (pseudo-)holomorphic disks $`u`$ such that $`u(0)=0`$ and $`du(0)0`$. The (regular) type of $`M`$ at $`0`$ is the number

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(M,0)=\underset{u𝒟_{\mathrm{reg}}}{sup}(\delta _0(M,u))$$

Our aim is to compute the type of $`M`$ at $`0`$ in terms of tangent vector fields on $`M`$. We propose two results in this direction, inspired from two classical results in complex analysis.

Our first result in this direction is a generalization of the classical results of  and  and computes the type in term of Lie brackets of “one” tangent vector field.

###### Theorem 1.

Let $`\delta =X`$ be $`J`$-line in $`T_0M`$. The three following conditions are equivalent :

1. There exists a smooth ($`J`$-)holomorphic disk $`C=u(\mathrm{\Delta })`$ tangent to $`M`$ at $`0`$ with order $`k+2`$, with direction $`\delta `$ (i.e. $`T_0C=\delta `$).
2. There exists a complex line sub-bundle $`L`$ of $`TM`$ such that $`L_0=\delta `$ and all the Lie brackets of length at most $`k+1`$ of sections of $`L`$ steel belong to $`\delta `$ at $`0`$.
3. there exists a $`J`$-tangent vector field $`X_0`$ with $`X_0(0)\delta `$ such that all the Lie brackets of $`X_0`$ and $`JX_0`$ of length at most $`k+1`$ vanish at $`0`$.

Moreover, if $``$ is a symmetric connexion, $`u`$ and $`X_0`$ can be chosen such that at $`0`$ : $`X_0=\frac{u}{x},_{X_0}X_0=\frac{^2u}{x^2},\mathrm{},_{X_0}(_{X_0}(\mathrm{}_{X_0}X_0))=\frac{^{k+1}u}{x^{k+1}}`$.

###### Remark 1.

If $`L`$ is involutive, i.e. (every where !) stable by Lie brackets, then by the Frobenius theorem, $`M`$ is foliated by $`J`$-holomorphic curves.

Our second result in the same direction uses “higher order” Levi forms, which are some kind of derivatives of the standard Levi form ; in contrast to the standard Levi form, they depend on the choice of a symmetric connexion.

Let us first discuss the Levi form itself. It is often defined on the complexification of $`TM`$, but we choose not to work in this setting to reduce the number of (almost) complex structures involved.

Thus we will use the following definition :

###### Definition 3.

Let $`T^JM=TMJ(TM)`$ be the $`J`$-invariant part of $`TM`$. The function $`L_\varphi :T^JM`$ defined by

(1)
$$L_\varphi (X)=d\varphi (J[X,JX])$$

is in fact a quadratic form on $`TM`$, called the Levi form associated to $`\varphi `$. It depends on $`\varphi `$ only up to multiplication by a non negative function.

The fact that $`L(X)`$ does not depend on the derivatives of $`X`$ is a straight forward computation. Let us just mention by the way the polar form associated to $`L_\varphi `$ :

(2)
$$\mathrm{\Theta }_\varphi (X,Y)=\frac{1}{2}\left(d\varphi (J[X,JY]+J[Y,JX])+\mathrm{i}d\varphi (J[X,Y]+J[JX,JY])\right)$$

In particular, if $`\alpha `$ and $`\beta `$ are two real functions on $`M`$, then

(3)
$$L_\varphi ((\alpha +\beta J)X)=(\alpha ^2+\beta ^2)L_\varphi (X).$$

The classical relation between the Levi form and the second derivative of $`\varphi `$ has to be modified in the non integrable case to take derivatives of the almost complex structure $`J`$ into account :

###### Proposition 4.

Let $`D_{}^2\varphi `$ denote the second derivative of $`\varphi `$ with respect to $``$. Then

(4)
$$L_\varphi (X)=D_{}^2\varphi (X,X)+D_{}^2\varphi (JX,JX)+d\varphi ((_{JX}J)X_XJ)JX)$$

###### Remark 2.

We will use a multiplicative notation for the derivatives, i.e. when differentiating many times in different directions, $`_{X_1}(_{X_2}(\mathrm{}_{X_{k1}}X_k))`$ will be replaced by $`X_1X_2\mathrm{}X_k`$, and if all the $`X_i`$ are the same, simply by $`X^k`$. We stress that this notation is somewhat misleading since this “product” is not associative.

The particular cases when the Levi form is non negative or positive are specially interesting.

###### Definition 5.

The hyper-surface $`M`$ is said to be

* pseudoconvex if $`L_\varphi 0`$.
* strictly pseudoconvex if $`L_\varphi >0`$.

The Levi form is a good tool to study the holomorphic disks tangent to $`M`$ at the first order, i.e. to check whether the type is $`2`$ or grater than $`2`$ :

###### Proposition 6.

Consider the Levi form at the origin.

* If $`XT_0^JM,L_\varphi (X)>0`$, then there exits a smooth holomorphic disk $`u:\mathrm{\Delta }^{2n}`$ tangent to $`M`$ at $`0`$ from the outside (i.e. lying in $`M_+`$).
* $`XT_0^JM,L_\varphi (X)=0`$ if and only if there exits a smooth holomorphic disk $`u:\mathrm{\Delta }^{2n}`$ tangent to $`M`$ at $`0`$ with contact order $`>2`$.

Moreover, in each case, $`X`$ and $`u`$ can be chosen such that at $`0`$ : $`X=\frac{u}{x}`$.

###### Remark 3.

This is just a computation, which will be detailed later on, as an introduction to the definition of higher order Levi forms. The existence of such holomorphic disk is useful to study properties of hyperbolicity for strictly pseudoconvex hyper-surfaces (see ).

The main result is as follows :

###### Theorem 2.

Out of the derivatives of the Levi form (see definition 14 in section 4.1 for precise statement), one can compute functions $`L^{p,q}:(^{2n})^{p+q+1}`$ for all $`p,q`$ such that the two following conditions are equivalent :

1. There exists a regular ($`J`$-)holomorphic disk tangent to $`M`$ at $`0`$ with order $`k+2`$
2. There exists a complex tangent vector field $`X\mathrm{\Gamma }(T^JM)`$ such that

$$(p,q),p+qk1,L^{p,q}(X(0),X^2(0),\mathrm{},X^{p+q+1}(0))=0.$$

Moreover, $`u`$ and $`X`$ can be chosen such taht at $`0`$ : $`X=\frac{u}{x},\mathrm{},X^{k+1}=\frac{^ku}{x^{k+1}}`$ ; (recall that $`X^p`$ stands for $`\underset{𝑝}{\underset{}{_X(\mathrm{}(_X(X)))}}`$).

###### Remark 4.

This result generalizes the theorem of Bloom in $`^3`$ (see ) for pseudoconvex hyper-surface; but compare carefuly the definition of iterated derivatives of the levi form in our theorem and in .

The two theorems (1 and 2) rest on the comparison of jets of holomorphic disks and the appropriate notion of jets of vector fields on $`M`$.

## 2. Jets of disks and tangent vector fields

###### Definition 7.

Define the $`(p,q)`$-th derivative of some vector field $`X`$ in $`^{2n}`$, to be the vector $`X`$ differentiated $`p`$ times in its own direction and then $`q`$ times in the $`JX`$ direction :

$$D_X^{p,q}X(0)=(JX)^qX^pX(0)=\underset{𝑞}{\underset{}{(JX\mathrm{}(JX}}\underset{𝑝}{\underset{}{(X\mathrm{}(X}}X)))(0)$$

###### Definition 8.

The collection of all the $`(p,q)`$-th derivatives of a vector field $`X`$ on $`^{2n}`$ at $`0`$ for $`0p+qk`$ will be called its oder $`k`$ jet and denoted by $`j_0^kX`$. This defines a map

$$j_0^k:\begin{array}{ccc}\hfill \mathrm{\Gamma }(T^{2n})& & 𝒥_0^k(^{2n})=(^{2n})^{\frac{(k+1)(k+2)}{2}}\hfill \\ \hfill X& & (X(0),\mathrm{},D_X^{p,q}X(0),\mathrm{},D_X^{0,k}X(0))\hfill \end{array}$$

and a jet $`\xi 𝒥_0^k(^{2n})`$ is said to be *realizable* if it belongs to $`𝒥_0^k(M)=j_0^k(\mathrm{\Gamma }(T^JM))`$.

Given an holomorphic disk $`u`$ tangent to $`M`$, one would like to know whether or not it’s jet at $`0`$ can be realized as the jet of some vector field $`X\mathrm{\Gamma }(T^JM)`$. This is what this section is devoted to.

Let us start with a basic observation :

###### Proposition 9.

Let $`X`$ and $`Y`$ be two $`J`$-tangent vector fields such that $`j_0^k(X)=j_0^k(Y)`$. Then for all $`p,q`$ with $`p+q=k+1`$, we have

$$D_X^{p,q}X(0)D_Y^{p,q}Y(0)T^JM$$

###### Proof.

One has to prove the two equalities

(5) $`d\varphi (D_X^{p,q}X(0)D_Y^{p,q}Y(0))`$ $`=0`$
(6) $`d\varphi (J[D_X^{p,q}X(0)D_Y^{p,q}Y(0)])`$ $`=0.`$
Let us compute $`D_X^{p,q}(d\varphi (X))`$. On one hand, it is $`0`$ (since $`XTM`$). On the other hand, the development of $`D_X^{p,q}(d\varphi (X))`$ is a sum of terms of the form

$$D^\alpha \varphi (D_X^{p_1,q_1}X(0),\mathrm{},D_X^{p_\alpha ,q_\alpha }X(0))$$

If $`p_i+q_ik`$, then this term is the same as

$$D^\alpha \varphi (D_Y^{p_1,q_1}Y(0),\mathrm{},D_Y^{p_\alpha ,q_\alpha }Y(0))$$

Thus $`00=D_X^{p,q}(d\varphi (X))D_Y^{p,q}(d\varphi (Y))=d\varphi (D_X^{p,q}XD_Y^{p,q}Y)`$.

The equality (6) is obtained along the same lines (eventually taking the derivatives of $`J`$ into account) using $`D_X^{p,q}(d\varphi (JX))=0`$ since $`JXTM`$. ∎

Realizability of jets can then be recursively tested as follows :

###### Proposition 10.

Let $`\xi 𝒥_0^{k+1}(^{2n})`$. Let $`[\xi ]_k`$ be its $`𝒥_0^k(^{2n})`$-component, and $`(\xi _{k+1,0},\mathrm{},\xi _{p,q},\mathrm{},\xi _{0,k+1})`$ its homogeneous part of degree $`k+1`$. Then

(7)
$$X\mathrm{\Gamma }(T^JM),j_0^{k+1}(X)=\xi $$

if and only if

(8)
$$\{\begin{array}{cc}& X_1\mathrm{\Gamma }(T^JM),j_0^k(X_1)=[\xi ]_k\hfill \\ & (p,q),p+q=k+1,\xi _{p,q}[j_0^{k+1}(X_1)]_{p,q}T_0^JM\hfill \end{array}$$

In other words, if you take a realizable $`k+1`$-jet, then the $`N`$ and $`JN`$ components of its maximal degree part are completely determined by its $`k`$-order part, but the $`T^JM`$ component can be anything.

###### Proof.

(7)$``$(8) is obvious. So let us start with $`X_1`$ and the compatibility condition (8). Let $`(T_1,\mathrm{},T_{n1})`$ be a (complex) basis of $`T^JM`$ and let $`X=X_1+\lambda _iT_i`$, where the $`\lambda _i`$ are complex valued functions on $`M`$, all the derivatives of which vanish at $`0`$ up to order $`k`$, and such that $`\lambda _i(0)=1`$. Then if $`p+qk`$, $`D_X^{p,q}X=D_{X_1+{\scriptscriptstyle \lambda _iT_i}}(X+\lambda _iT_i)`$ is the sum of $`D_{X_1}^{p,q}X_1`$ and of terms involving derivatives of the $`\lambda _i`$ of order at most $`k`$. Therefore at $`0`$ we have

(9)
$$(p,q),p+qk,D_X^{p,q}X(0)=D_{X_1}^{p,q}X_1(0)$$

For $`p+q=k+1`$, the $`k+1`$-th derivatives of $`\lambda _i`$ appear in the following terms :

$`D_X^{p,q}X(0)`$ $`=D_{X_1}^{p,q}X_1(0)+{\displaystyle (D_{X_1}^{p,q}\lambda _i)(0)T_i(0)}`$
(10) $`=D_{X_1}^{p,q}X_1(0)+{\displaystyle D_0^{k+1}\lambda _i(JX_1,\mathrm{},JX_1,X_1,\mathrm{},X_1)T_i(0)}`$
which proves that the $`k+1`$ degree part of $`j_0^k(X_1)`$ can only be modified in the $`T^JM`$ direction, and all the modification in this direction are possible since any $`(\alpha _{k+1,0},\alpha _{k,1},\mathrm{},\alpha _{0,k+1})^{k+2}`$ can be realized as the derivatives of a complex valued function in the directions $`X_1`$ and $`JX_1`$ (provided that $`X_10`$) : $`(\alpha _{k+1,0},\alpha _{k,1},\mathrm{},\alpha _{0,k+1})^{k+2}\lambda :M`$ such that

$$\{\begin{array}{cc}& \lambda (0)=1\hfill \\ & rk,D_0^r\lambda =0\hfill \\ & (p,q),p+q=k+1,D_0^{k+1}\lambda (JX_1\mathrm{}JX_1,X_1\mathrm{}X_1)=\alpha _{p,q}\hfill \end{array}$$

###### Corollary 11.

There exists a regular holomorphic disk $`u:\mathrm{\Delta }^{2n}`$ tangent to $`M`$ at $`0`$ with order $`k+2`$ (i.e. $`\varphi u(z)=O(z^{k+2})`$) if and only if the $`k+1`$-jet of $`u`$ at $`0`$ is realizable, i.e.

$$X\mathrm{\Gamma }(T^JM),(p,q),p+qk,D_X^{p,q}X(0)=\frac{^{p+q}u}{x^py^q}\frac{u}{x}(0).$$

###### Proof.

Let $`u`$ be a disk tangent to $`M`$ with order $`k+3`$, $`\xi `$ the $`k`$-jet of $`\frac{u}{x}`$ at $`0`$ (i.e. $`\xi _{p,q}=\frac{^{p+q+1}u}{x^{p+1}y^q}(0)`$). By induction, there exists a $`J`$ tangent vector field $`X_1`$ realizing the $`k`$-jet of $`\frac{u}{x}`$. Then, comparing the developments of

$$\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\left[d\varphi (\frac{u}{x})\right](0)\text{ and }D_{X_1}^{p,q}\left[d\varphi (X_1)\right](0)$$

for $`p+q=k+1`$, it turns out that all the terms are the same except maybe the terms where no derivative is applied to $`d\varphi `$. Thus, we have :

(11)
$$\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\left[d\varphi (\frac{u}{x})(0)\right](0)D_{X_1}^{p,q}\left[d\varphi (X_1)\right](0)=d\varphi \left[\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\frac{u}{x}(0)D_{X_1}^{p,q}X_1(0)\right].$$

On the other hand, $`\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\left[d\varphi (\frac{u}{x})\right](0)=0`$ since $`\varphi u(z)=O(z^{k+3})`$, and $`D_{X_1}^{p,q}\left[d\varphi (X_1)\right](0)=0`$ since $`X_1TM`$. Thus we have

(12)
$$d\varphi \left(\xi _{p,q}[j_0^{k+1}X_1]_{p,q}\right)=0.$$

Comparing in the same way

$$\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\left[d\varphi (J(u)\frac{u}{x})\right](0)\text{ and }D_{X_1}^{p,q}\left[d\varphi (JX_1)\right](0)$$

we get

(13)
$$\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\left[d\varphi (\frac{u}{y})(0)\right](0)D_{X_1}^{p,q}\left[d\varphi (JX_1)\right](0)=d\varphi \left[J\frac{^{k+1}}{x^py^q}\frac{u}{x}(0)JD_{X_1}^{p,q}X_1(0)\right].$$

and finally

(14)
$$d\varphi \left(J\xi _{p,q}J[j_0^{k+1}X_1]_{p,q}\right)=0.$$

The relations (12) and (14) and the proposition 10 now proves that $`X_1`$ can be modified into a new complex tangent vector field $`X`$ to have :

$$j_0^{k+1}X=\xi .$$

Start now with $`u`$ and $`XT^JM`$ such that $`(p,q),p+qk,\frac{^{p+q+1}u}{x^{p+1}y^q}(0)=D_X^{p,q}X(0)`$ and compute $`\frac{^{p+q}\varphi u}{x^py^q}(0)`$ for $`p+qk+1`$. The main tool is again the relations (11) and (13). If $`p>1`$ we have

$`{\displaystyle \frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}}\left[\varphi u\right](0)`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{^{p+q}}{x^{p1}y^q}}\left[d\varphi (\frac{u}{x})\right](0)`$
(15) $`=D_X^{p1,q}\left[d\varphi (X)\right](0)=0`$
and if $`p=0`$ :

$`{\displaystyle \frac{^q}{y^q}}\left[\varphi u\right](0)`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{^{q1}}{y^{q1}}}\left[d\varphi (J\frac{u}{x})\right](0)`$
(16) $`=D_X^{0,q1}\left[d\varphi (JX)\right](0)=0`$
Finally, we have $`\varphi u(z)=O(z^{k+2})`$. ∎

## 3. Regular type and Lie algebra of line bundles

### 3.1. Commutativity of vector fields at one point

###### Definition 12.

A complex tangent vector field $`X`$ is said to commute at $`0`$ up to order $`k`$ if and only if $`mk`$,$`X_1,\mathrm{},X_m\{X,JX\}`$ and $`\sigma 𝔖_m`$ we have $`X_{\sigma (1)}X_{\sigma (2)}\mathrm{}X_{\sigma (k)}=X_1X_2\mathrm{}X_k`$.

Of course, we can use the group structure of $`𝔖_k`$ and the properties of the Lie brackets to reduce attention only to a few permutations :

###### Proposition 13.

Let $`X`$ be a complex tangent vector fields. The four following conditions are equivalent :

1. $`X`$ commutes up to order $`k`$ at $`0`$.
2. $`p,q/p+qk,`$

$$\underset{𝑞}{\underset{}{JX\mathrm{}JX}}\underset{𝑝}{\underset{}{X\mathrm{}X}}JX=\underset{q+1}{\underset{}{JX\mathrm{}JX}}\underset{𝑝}{\underset{}{X\mathrm{}X}}$$
3. All the Lie brackets of $`X`$ and $`JX`$ up to length $`k`$ vanish at $`0`$.
4. $`mk2,X_1\mathrm{}X_m\{X,JX\}`$, $`X_1\mathrm{}X_m[X,JX]=0`$

###### Proof.

$`(\text{1})(\text{2})`$ is clear.

$`(\text{2})(\text{1})`$ rests on the remark that if $`X`$ commutes up to order $`k1`$, then the relations of $`(\text{1})`$ for $`m=k`$ and $`\sigma (k)=k`$ are automatic :

$$X_1\mathrm{}X_{k1}X_k=\underset{\begin{array}{c}1\alpha k1\\ I_1\mathrm{}I_\alpha =\{1\mathrm{}n\}\\ I_iI_j=\mathrm{}\end{array}}{}D^\alpha X_k(X^{I_1},\mathrm{},X^{I_\alpha })$$

where $`X^{I_i}=X_{i_1}\mathrm{}X_{i_r}`$ when $`I_i=\{i_1<\mathrm{}<i_r\}`$.

The group $`𝔖_{k1}`$ acts transitively on the indexing set, and since $`X`$ commutes up to order $`k1`$, $`X^{I_i}`$ does not depend on the order used on $`I_i`$. We conclude that $`X_1\mathrm{}X_k=X_{\sigma (1)}\mathrm{}X_{\sigma (k1)}X_k`$ for all $`\sigma 𝔖_{k1}`$. This ends the proof since the permutations corresponding to the relation (2) and $`𝔖_{k1}`$ generate $`𝔖_k`$.

$`(\text{1})(\text{3})`$ is clear.

$`(\text{3})(\text{4})`$ : suppose that all the Lie brackets of $`X`$ and $`JX`$ vanish at $`0`$ up to length $`k`$, and, by induction, that all the derivatives of $`[X,JX]`$ in the $`X`$ and $`JX`$ directions vanish at $`0`$ up to order $`k3`$. Then in the development of $`[X_1[\mathrm{}X_{k2}[X,JX]]]`$, all the terms vanish but the term where $`[X,JX]`$ is differentiated $`k2`$ times :

$$0=[X_1[\mathrm{}X_{k2}[X,JX]]]=X_1\mathrm{}X_{k2}[X,JX]$$

$`(\text{4})(\text{1})`$ : it is enough to prove the relation when $`\sigma `$ is a transposition $`(i,i+1)`$. But $`X_1\mathrm{}X(JX)\mathrm{}X_mX_1\mathrm{}(JX)X\mathrm{}X_m=X_1\mathrm{}[X,JX]\mathrm{}X_m`$, and all the terms in the development of this last expression involve a derivative of order at most $`m2`$ of $`[X,JX]`$ in the $`X`$ and $`JX`$ directions : thus it is null. ∎

We can now come to the proof of theorem 1.

### 3.2. Proof of theorem 1

#### Proof of (1) $``$ (3) in theorem 1 :

Start with a regular disk $`u:(\mathrm{\Delta },0)(^{2n},0)`$ tangent to $`M`$ with order $`k+2`$. Then, by corollary 11, there exists a complex tangent vector field $`X`$ such that $`(p,q),p+qk,\frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}\frac{u}{x}(0)=D_X^{p,q}X(0)`$. Let us check that this $`X`$ commutes up to order $`k+1`$ at $`0`$, i.e. that $`D_X^{p,q}(JX)(0)=D_X^{p1,q+1}X(0)`$ for $`p+qk`$.

We have the relation

$$D_X^{p,q}(JX)=\underset{\begin{array}{c}a+c=p\\ b+d=q\end{array}}{}C_p^aC_q^b(D_X^{a,b}J)D_X^{c,d}X$$

Differentiating $`\frac{u}{y}=J(u)\frac{u}{x}`$ with respect to $`x`$ $`p`$ times and to $`y`$ $`q`$ times, we obtain

$$\frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}\frac{u}{y}=\underset{\begin{array}{c}a+c=p\\ b+d=q\end{array}}{}C_p^aC_q^b(\frac{^{a+b}}{x^ay^b}(J(u)))\frac{^{c+d}}{x^cy^d}\frac{u}{x}$$

fom which we deduce that :

$`D_X^{p,q}(JX)(0)`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}}\frac{u}{y}(0)`$
$`={\displaystyle \frac{^{p+q}}{x^{p1}y^{q+1}}}\frac{u}{x}(0)`$
$`=D_X^{p1,q+1}X(0)`$
This ends the proof of (1)$``$(3) in theorem 1.

#### Proof of (3) $``$(1) in theorem 1 :

Let now $`X`$ be a vector field commuting up to order $`k+1`$ at $`0`$. By an argument of J.-C. Sikorav , there exists a germ $`u:\mathrm{\Delta }^{2n}`$ of $`J`$-holomorphic disk such that $`mk+1`$, $`\frac{^mu}{x^m}(0)=X^m(0)`$. Since $`X`$ commutes, one can easily check that $`\frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}\frac{u}{x}=D_X^{p,q}X(0)`$ and then apply proposition 11.

#### Proof of (2) $``$(3) in theorem 1 :

The basic remark here is that if $`X`$ is replaced by $`(\alpha +\beta J)X`$ where $`\alpha `$ and $`\beta `$ are real valued functions on $`M`$, then an iterated Lie bracket of $`X`$ and $`JX`$ of length $`k`$ is affected by addition of a linear combination of strictly shorter Lie brackets. Therefore, if $`X`$ commutes up to roder $`k+1`$ at $`0`$, then the line subbundle generated by $`X`$ is stable at $`0`$ up to order $`k+1`$. In the other direction, if a line bundle is stable at $`0`$ up to order $`k+1`$, then choosing a local non vanishing section $`X`$ of it, and suitable functions $`\alpha `$ and $`\beta `$, we obtain a vector field commuting at $`0`$ up to order $`k+1`$.

## 4. Higher order Levi forms

### 4.1. Definition :

As an introduction, let us discuss the proof of proposition 6. The main tool here is the relationship between the Levi form and laplacian of $`\varphi u`$ for tangent disks $`u`$.

Suppose that $`XT_0^JM`$ satisfies $`L_\varphi (X)>0`$. Recall that from an argument of Sikorav , all the derivatives $`\frac{^ku}{x^k}(0)`$ of a holomorphic disk can be chosen arbitrarily, i.e. for all $`X_1,\mathrm{},X_k^{2n}`$ there exists a germ of holomorphic disk such that $`X_i=\frac{^iu}{x^i}(0)`$.

Let $`u:\mathrm{\Delta }^{2n}`$ be a (germ of) holomorphic disk such that $`u(0)=0`$, $`\frac{u}{x}(0)=X`$. In the Taylor expansion of $`\varphi u`$, use the fact that $`u`$ is holomorphic, that is $`\frac{u}{y}=J(u)\frac{u}{x}`$, to express all the deirvatives of $`u`$, as derivatives with respect to $`x`$ only. We get :

$$\varphi u(z)=a_{2,0}x^2+a_{1,1}xy+a_{0,2}y^2+o(x^2+y^2)$$

where

$`a_{2,0}`$ $`=\underset{𝑎}{\underset{}{D^2\varphi (X,X)}}+D\varphi (\frac{^2u}{x^2})`$
$`a_{1,1}`$ $`=\underset{𝑏}{\underset{}{D^2\varphi (JX,X)+D\varphi ((XJ)X)}}+D\varphi (J\frac{^2u}{x^2})`$
$`a_{0,2}`$ $`=\underset{𝑐}{\underset{}{D^2\varphi (JX,JX)+D\varphi (((JX)J)X(XJ)JX)}}D\varphi (\frac{^2u}{x^2})`$
Recall from (4) that $`L_\varphi (X)=D^2\varphi (X,X)+D^2\varphi (JX,JX)+D\varphi (((JX)J)X(XJ)JX)`$ :

(17)
$$L_\varphi (X)=a_{2,0}+a_{0,2}=\mathrm{\Delta }(\varphi u)(0).$$

Since $`\frac{^2u}{x^2}(0)`$ can be chosen arbitrarily, we can in particular choose $`d\varphi (\frac{^2u}{x^2})(0)`$ (i.e. its $`N`$-component) and $`d\varphi (J\frac{^2u}{x^2})(0)`$ (i.e. its $`JN`$ component) independently.

The choices

(18) $`d\varphi ({\displaystyle \frac{^2u}{x^2}})(0)`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{ca}{2}}`$ $`d\varphi (J{\displaystyle \frac{^2u}{x^2}})(0)`$ $`=b`$
lead to the formula

(19)
$$\varphi u(z)=\frac{L_\varphi (X)}{2}(x^2+y^2)+o(|z|^2)$$

If $`L_\varphi (X)>0`$, $`u`$ is clearly tangent to $`M`$ from the outside.

If $`L_\varphi (X)=0`$, then the contact order of $`u`$ with $`M`$ is at least $`3`$.

If $`u`$ has a contact of order at least $`3`$ with $`M`$, then $`a_{2,0}=a_{1,1}=a_{0,2}=0`$ and the relation (17) proves that taking $`X=\frac{u}{x}(0)T_0^JM`$, we have $`L_\varphi (X)=0`$.

This ends the proof of theorem 6.

The following definition of the higher order Levi forms derive from very similar ideas in the study of the higher order Taylor expansion of $`\varphi u`$ : the pairwise sums of the coefficients are related to the derivatives of $`\mathrm{\Delta }(\varphi u)`$, and thus to derivatives of the Levi form.

Let $`u`$ be a germ of holomorphic disk at $`0`$. Using the relation $`\frac{u}{y}=J(u)\frac{u}{x}`$ and eventually derivatives of it, it is possible to express $`\frac{^k\mathrm{\Delta }(\varphi u)}{x^py^q}`$ by means of derivatives of $`u`$ in the $`x`$ direction only, and this process is purely algebraic :

###### Definition 14.

For all $`(p,q)`$, there exists a polynomial function $`L^{p,q}:(^{2n})^{p+q+1}`$, called the $`(p,q)`$-th Levi form which depends on (the derivatives of) $`\varphi `$ and $`J`$ only, such that for all germ of holomorphic disk $`u`$ at $`0`$ :

$$\frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}\mathrm{\Delta }(\varphi u)=L^{p,q}(\frac{u}{x},\mathrm{},\frac{^{p+q+1}u}{x^{p+q+1}})$$

At first sight, it seems that $`L^{p,q}`$ should depend on the derivatives of $`u`$ up to order $`p+q+2`$ and not only $`p+q+1`$ as mentioned in this definition. In fact, the derivatives of $`u`$ of order $`p+q+2`$ involoved in the computation of $`\frac{^{p+q}}{x^py^q}\mathrm{\Delta }(\varphi u)`$ apear only in the following term : $`d\varphi (\frac{^{p+q+2}u}{x^{p+2}y^q}+\frac{^{p+q+2}u}{x^py^{q+2}})`$ which is null in the integrable case, and involves only derivatives of $`u`$ of order at most $`p+q+1`$ in the non integrable one.

Especially in the almost complex case, the explicit computation of $`L^{p,q}`$ is of course a bit tedious, but we stress that it is not more complicated than the computation of the derivatives of some compound function. More precisely, in the integrable case, $`L^{p,q}`$ can be obtained by the following “recipe” : formally compute the $`(p,q)`$-th derivative of $`\mathrm{\Delta }(\varphi u)`$, and replace the $`(\alpha ,\beta )`$-derivatives of $`u`$ by $`J^\beta X_{\alpha +\beta }`$.

Another way to think about $`L^{p,q}(X,X^2,\mathrm{},X^k)`$ for a given vector field $`X`$, is to formally differentiate the usual Levi form, $`p`$ times in the $`X`$ direction, then $`q`$ times in the $`JX`$ direction, and then “force” the commutation of $`X`$ and $`JX`$ by replacing all $`(JX)^\beta X^\alpha `$ by $`J^\beta X^{\alpha +\beta }`$. In the non integrable case, this commutation relation involves of course some derivatives of $`J`$.

For instance, in the integrable case :

$`L^{0,0}(X_1)`$ $`=D^2\varphi (X_1,X_1)+D^2\varphi (\mathrm{i}X_1,\mathrm{i}X_1)`$
$`\begin{array}{cc}\hfill L^{1,0}(X_1,X_2)& =D^3\varphi (X_1,X_1,X_1)+D^3\varphi (X_1,\mathrm{i}X_1,\mathrm{i}X_1)+\hfill \\ & +2D^2\varphi (X_2,X_1)+2D^2\varphi (\mathrm{i}X_2,\mathrm{i}X_2)\hfill \end{array}`$
$`\begin{array}{cc}\hfill L^{0,1}(X_1,X_2)& =D^3\varphi (\mathrm{i}X_1,X_1,X_1)+D^3\varphi (\mathrm{i}X_1,\mathrm{i}X_1,\mathrm{i}X_1)+\hfill \\ & +2D^2\varphi (\mathrm{i}X_2,X_1)2D^2\varphi (X_2,\mathrm{i}X_2)\hfill \end{array}`$
$`\mathrm{}`$
By construction, if $`u`$ is a holomorphic disk, the extended Levi forms above are related to the Taylor expansion of $`\varphi u`$ at $`0`$ in the following way : write the homogeneous part of degree $`k`$ as

$$[\varphi u(z)]_k=a_{k,0}x^k+a_{k1,1}x^{k1}y+\mathrm{}+a_{0,k}y^k.$$

Then

(20)
$$a_{i+2,j}+a_{i,j+2}=L^{i,j}(\frac{u}{x},\mathrm{},\frac{^{k1}u}{x^{k1}})$$

We can now turn to the proof of theorem 2.

### 4.2. Proof of theorem 2

#### Proof of (1)$``$(2) in theorem 2 :

Start with a holomorphic disk $`u`$ tangent to $`M`$ at $`0`$ with order $`k+2`$. Then the relation (20) proves that for all $`(i,j),i+j+2k+1`$ we have

(21)
$$L^{i,j}(\frac{u}{x},\mathrm{},\frac{^{i+j+1}u}{x^{i+j+1}})=0.$$

On the other hand, the corollary 11 provides us with a $`J`$-tangent vector field $`X`$ such that $`mk+1`$, $`\frac{^mu}{x^m}(0)=X^m(0)`$, and therefore, $`(i,j),i+jk1`$ :

(22)
$$L^{i,j}(X(0),\mathrm{},X^{i+j+1}(0))=0.$$

#### Proof of (2)$``$(1) in theorem 2 :

Start with a $`J`$-tangent vector field $`X`$ such that $`(i,j),i+jk1,L^{i,j}(X(0),\mathrm{},X^{i+j+1}(0))=0`$. Choose a germ $`u`$ of holomorphic disk at $`0`$ such that

(23)
$$mk+1,\frac{^mu}{x^m}(0)=X^m(0).$$

Suppose by induction that $`u`$ is tangent to $`M`$ with order $`k+1`$. The Taylor expansion of $`\varphi u`$ has the form

$$\varphi u(z)=a_{k+1,0}x^{k+1}+a_{k,1}x^ky+\mathrm{}+a_{0,k+1}y^{k+1}+o(|z|^{k+1}).$$

and because of relation (20), we have

(24)
$$(i,j),i+j+2=k+1,a_{i+2,j}=a_{i,j+2}.$$

Using (23), one can easily compute $`a_{k+1,0}`$ :

$`a_{k+1,0}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{}{x^k}}d\varphi \left({\displaystyle \frac{u}{x}}\right)(0)`$
(25) $`=X^k(d\varphi (X))(0)=0.`$
To compute $`a_{k,1}`$, let us first remark that the computation of $`X^k(JX)(0)`$ is a sum of terms involving a derivative of $`J`$ in the $`(X^\alpha )_{\alpha k+1}`$ directions and one of the $`(X^\alpha )_{\alpha k+1}`$. The computation of $`\frac{}{x^k}d\varphi (J(u)\frac{u}{x})(0)`$ leads to the same sum where the $`X^\alpha `$ are replaced by the $`\frac{^\alpha u}{x^\alpha }`$, and thus :

$`a_{k,1}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{}{x^k}}d\varphi \left(J(u){\displaystyle \frac{u}{x}}\right)(0)`$
(26) $`=X^k(d\varphi (JX))(0)=0`$
The relations (24), (25) and (26) prove that $`\varphi u=O(z^{k+2})`$, ending the proof of the theorem.

## 5. Base point dependency in lower dimensions

In general, even in the pseudo-convex case, the type is not an upper continuous function on $`M`$ : it is not even locally bounded (see  for striking examples). However, in complex dimension $`2`$, it is known to be upper-continuous in the integrable case. In the first part of this section, we give a proof of this fact with the point of vue developped all along this paper ; in particular, the proof still apply to the almost complex case.

In the second part of this section, we discuss a particular case in complex dimension $`3`$ : if the Levi form has constant signature, the type is an upper-continuous function of the base point.

### 5.1. Upper continuity in dimension 2

###### Proposition 15.

In complex dimension $`2`$ (real dimension $`4`$), the regular type of an hyper-surface $`M`$ is an upper-continuous function on $`M`$.

The basic idea of the proof is to translate $`\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(p)k`$ in terms of jets : the functions $`L^{p,q}`$ are defined on a space of jets, and since they are invariant under rescaling, we can reduce to a compact subset. The set $`\{L^{p,q}=0,p+qk\}`$ is then compact and a sequence of “good” jets above a converging sequence $`p_n`$ in $`M`$ should therefore (sub-)converge to a “good” jet at $`p_{\mathrm{}}`$. The point is that the set of realizable jets is not closed, since if the first component of the jet vanishes, all the remaining components should vanish as well.

This phenomenon occurs when the sequence of curves catches a singularity in the limit. In terms of jets, if we rescale our jets so that the first component has always length 1, this means that one component explodes in the limit. Fortunately, in dimension $`2`$ (real dimension $`4`$), there is no room for that, and the phenomenon can be controlled.

###### Proof.

Let us first concentrate on one point where the type is $`k+2`$. Let $`X`$ be a germ of $`J`$-tangent vector field at this point on which all the Levi forms vanish up to order $`k1`$.

Let $`u`$ be a germ of holomorphic disk at $`0`$ such that $`mk+1,\frac{^mu}{x^m}(0)=X^m(0)`$. Then, $`u`$ has contact order $`k+2`$ with $`M`$ and thus, for any germ $`\theta `$ of holomorphic function with $`\theta (0)=0`$, $`\theta ^{}(0)0`$, the disk $`v(z)=u\theta (z)`$ also has contact order $`k+2`$. Suitably choosing the jet of $`\theta `$, and computing the jet of $`v`$ at $`0`$, we obtain that in fact any $`Y=(\alpha +\beta J)X`$ where $`\alpha `$ and $`\beta `$ are real valued functions, i.e. any section of $`T^JM`$, satisfy the relations $`L^{p,q}(Y,\mathrm{},Y^{p+q+1})=0`$ for $`p+qk1`$.

Let now $`X`$ be a local non vanishing section $`X`$ of $`T^JM`$ near $`0`$, and $`p_n`$ a sequence of points on $`M`$ converging to $`0`$. If each $`p_n`$ is of type at least $`k+2`$, then the functions $`L^{p,q}(X,\mathrm{},X^{p+q+1})`$ vanish at each $`p_n`$, and thus at $`0`$. therefore

$$\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(limp_n)lim\; sup\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(p_n).$$

### 5.2. Case of dimension 3 with non degenerate Levi form

The behaviour of the jet can also be controlled in some cases if the Levi form is not degenerated :

###### Theorem 3.

If $`n=3`$ and the Levi form on $`M`$ is (every where) non degenerate then $`\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(p)`$ is an upper continuous function of $`p`$.

###### Proof.

If the Levi form is definite positive (or negative) then $`\mathrm{\Delta }_{\mathrm{reg}}^1(p)=2`$ every where.

If it is not, its signature is $`(1,1)`$, and the type is at least $`3`$ every where. Let $`(X,Y)`$ be a field of bases of $`T^JM`$ in which $`L=\left(\begin{array}{cc}0& 1\\ 1& 0\end{array}\right)`$. The coordinates are chosen such that $`(X(0),Y(0),N(0))`$ is the canonical basis of $`^3`$. Suppose that the type is at least $`k+2`$ at $`0`$ : let $`u`$ be a regular disk with contact $`k+2`$ and $`Z`$ a complex vector field on $`M`$ realizing the jet of $`\frac{u}{x}`$ up to order $`k`$.

In the integrable case, we can reparametrise $`u`$, so that $`u(z)=(z,h(z),g(z))`$. In the non integrable case, this is not possible, but the first coordinate of $`u`$ can still be brought to the form $`z+r(z)`$ where $`r(z)=o(z)`$ is a function whose derivatives are controlled by the derivatives of $`J`$, and the derivatives of the other coordinates.

Let us decompose $`Z^k(0)`$ in the base $`(X,JX,Y,JY,N,JN)`$ : $`Z^k=\alpha X(0)+\beta Y(0)+\gamma N(0)`$, where $`\alpha ,\beta ,\gamma `$ are complex valued functions.

The $`X`$-component of $`Z^k`$ is controlled by the $`C^k`$ norm of $`J`$ and the other components of $`Z^k`$.

We already proved (see the proof of 10) that the $`N`$ and $`JN`$ components of $`Z^k`$ can be expressed as a combination of derivatives of $`\varphi `$ (of length at most $`k`$) and all the $`Z^i`$ for $`i<k`$ : we conclude that

$$|\gamma |\varphi _{C^k}\underset{i<k}{sup}Z^i^{k/i}$$

To control the $`Y`$ component of $`Z^k`$ at $`0`$, remark that in $`L^{k1,0}(Z,\mathrm{},Z^k)`$, the only term involving $`Z^k`$ is $`L(Z^k,Z)`$ :

$$L^{k1,0}(Z,\mathrm{},Z^k)=2L(Z^k,Z)+P_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})$$

where $`P_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})`$ is a homogeneous polynomial in $`Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1}`$ of degree $`k+1`$, whose coefficients come from derivatives of $`\varphi `$ and $`J`$ up to order $`k`$.

We obtain that $`L(\beta _1Y+\beta _2JY,X)=A_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})`$ where $`A_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})`$ is an homogeneous polynomial in $`(Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})`$ controlled by the $`C^k`$ norm of $`\varphi `$ and $`J`$.

In the same way, we can prove that $`L(\beta _1Y+\beta _2JY,JX)=B_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})`$ where $`B_\varphi `$ is again controlled by the $`C^k`$ norms of $`\varphi `$ and $`J`$.

Finally

$$\{\begin{array}{cc}\beta _1L(Y,X)+\beta _2L(JY,X)\hfill & =A_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})\hfill \\ \beta _1L(Y,JX)+\beta _2L(JY,JX)\hfill & =B_\varphi (Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})\hfill \end{array}$$

and since $`L(JY,X)=L(JY,X)`$, the determinant of this system is at least $`L(Y,X)^2=1`$. As a consequence, $`|\beta |`$ is controlled by the $`C^k`$ norms of $`\varphi `$ and $`J`$, and the norms of $`(Z,\mathrm{},Z_{k1})`$ : there exists a contant $`M`$, depending only on the $`C^k`$ norms of $`\varphi `$ and $`J`$ such that

$$Z^kM\underset{i<k}{sup}Z^i^{k/i}.$$

By induction, we obtain a collection of constants $`M_i`$ such that at $`0`$ :

$$ik,Z^iM_iZ^i.$$

This inequality implies that if we consider a converging sequence $`p_n`$ of points of type at least $`k+2`$ in $`M`$, we can find a sequence of realizable jets $`(Z_n,\mathrm{},Z_n^k)`$, normalized so that $`Z_n(0)=1`$, on which all the $`L^{p,q}`$ vanish for $`p+q<k`$, and such that all the components stay bounded : this sequence (sub-)converges to a jet $`\xi `$, that is realisable, and on which all the $`L^{p,q}`$ vanish. ∎

###### Remark 5.

We want to finish with an open question related to the base point dependency of the type: in a complex case (see ), we know that the finite regular type is not an open condition ; but, if we consider all curves (even singular), this condition become open. Is it true for a almost complex structure and for pseudo-holomorphic curves ? We think that the answer is positive.