Suppose we have k embeddings of one single smooth manifold into one other, such that the intersections are manifolds,too. What are sufficient conditions, such that the union of those embeddings is a smooth submanifold in the image manifold?
To be more precise: Suppose we have a manifold M and a manifold N (both smooth). Moreover we have k-many embeddings $f_1: M \rightarrow N$ , $\ldots$, $f_k: M \rightarrow N$ such that the intersections of $f_j(M) \cap f_i(M) \neq \emptyset$ are in general not empty but it is required that $f_j(M) \cap f_i(M)$ is itself a submanifold of $N$. Is it possible at all that the union $\cup f_j(M)$ for all $1 \leq j \leq k$ is a submanifold of N?
Of course it is if all $f_j$'s are equal, but suppose some of them are not. Then in general the union is not a submanifold as we can see for example if we embedded $\mathbb{R}^2$ into $\mathbb{R}^3$ by $f_1(x_1,x_2):=(0,x_1,x_2)$ and $f_2(x_1,x_2):=(x_1,x_2,0)$ and $f_3(x_1,x_2):=(x_1,0,x_3)$. Then the intersections are lines and hence are manifolds by themself, but the union of the images of the $f_j$'s is not a manifold.
The question is: Are there conditions under which the union is a submanifold or not?
Of course one sufficient condition is that there is a $i$ such that $f_i(M)=\cup f_j(M)$ $i \neq j$. So the more interesting situation is, when we have $f_i(M)\neq \cup f_j(M)$ for all $i \neq j$.
