Is there a criterion to show that a level set of some map is not an (embedded) submanifold? In particular, an exercise in Lee's smooth manifolds book asks to show that the sets defined by $x^3 - y^2 = 0$ and $x^2 - y^2 = 0$ are not embedded submanifolds.
In general, is it possible that a level set of a map which does not has constant rank on the set still defines a embedded submanifold?