Isoparametric functions and exotic spheres

The first part of the paper is to improve the fundamental theory of isoparametric functions on general Riemannian manifolds. Next we focus our attention on exotic spheres, especially on "exotic" 4-spheres (if exist) and the Gromoll-Meyer sphere. In particular, as one of main results we prove: there exists no properly transnormal function on any exotic 4-sphere if it exists. Furthermore, by projecting an $S^3$-invariant isoparametric function on $Sp(2)$, we construct a properly transnormal but not an isoparametric function on the Gromoll-Meyer sphere with two points as the focal varieties.