Search

In this paper, we consider soliton solutions of the mean curvature flow in the unit sphere $S^{2n+1}$ moving along the integral curves of the Hopf unit vector field. While such solitons must necessarily be minimal if compact, we produce a non-minimal, complete example with topology $S^{2n-1} \times R$. The example wraps around a Clifford torus $S^{2n-1} \times S^1$ along each end, it has reflection and rotational symmetry and its mean curvature changes sign on each end. Indeed, we prove that a complete 2-dimensional soliton with non-negative mean curvature outside a compact set must be a covering of a Clifford torus. Concluding, we obtain a pinching theorem under suitable conditions on the second fundamental form.

We consider the graphical mean curvature flow of maps ${\bf f}:\mathbb{R}^m\to\mathbb{R}^n$, $m\ge 2$, and derive estimates on the growth rates of the evolved graphs, based on a new version of the maximum principle for properly immersed submanifolds that extends the well-known maximum principle of Ecker and Huisken derived in their seminal paper [10]. In the case of uniformly area decreasing maps ${\bf f}:\mathbb{R}^m\to\mathbb{R}^2$, $m\ge 2$, we use this maximum principle to show that the graphicality and the area decreasing property are preserved. Moreover, if the initial graph is asymptotically conical at infinity, we prove that the normalized mean curvature flow smoothly converges to a self-expander.

We prove that every complete, minimally immersed submanifold $f\: M^n \to \mathbb{S}^{n+p}$ whose second fundamental form satisfies $|A|^2 \le np/(2p-1)$, is either totally geodesic, or (a covering of) a Clifford torus or a Veronese surface in $\mathbb{S}^4$, thereby extending the well-known results by Simons, Lawson and Chern, do Carmo & Kobayashi from compact to complete $M^n$. We also obtain the corresponding result for complete hypersurfaces with nonvanishing constant mean curvature, due to Alencar & do Carmo in the compact case, under the optimal bound on the umbilicity tensor. In dimension $n \le 6$, a pinching theorem for complete higher-codimensional submanifolds with non-vanishing parallel mean curvature is proved, partly generalizing previous work of Santos. Our approach is inspired by the conformal method of Fischer-Colbrie, Shen & Ye and Catino, Mastrolia & Roncoroni., Comment: The title has been changed; references updated, original result extended to higher codimensions

In this paper we study conformal solitons for the mean curvature flow in hyperbolic space $\mathbb{H}^{n+1}$. Working in the upper half-space model, we focus on horo-expanders, which relate to the conformal field $-\partial_0$. We classify cylindrical and rotationally symmetric examples, finding appropriate analogues of grim-reaper cylinders, bowl and winglike solitons. Moreover, we address the Plateau and the Dirichlet problems at infinity. For the latter, we provide the sharp boundary convexity condition to guarantee its solvability, and address the case of noncompact boundaries contained between two parallel hyperplanes of $\partial_{\infty}\mathbb{H}^{n+1}$. We conclude by proving rigidity results for bowl and grim-reaper cylinders.

We investigate Gauss maps associated to great circle fibrations of $S^3$. We show that the associated Gauss map to such a fibration is harmonic (respectively minimal) if and only if the unit vector field generating the great circle foliation is harmonic (respectively minimal). These results can be viewed as analogues of the classical theorem of Ruh and Vilms about the harmonicity of the Gauss map of a minimal submanifold in the euclidean space. Moreover, we prove that a harmonic or minimal unit vector field in $S^3$ with great circle integral curves is a Hopf vector field., Comment: The revised version contains new results concerning minimal unit vector fields. The presentation of the paper is improved and typos are fixed

We consider the graphical mean curvature flow of strictly area decreasing maps $f:M\to N$, where $M$ is a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension $m>1$ and $N$ a complete Riemannian surface of bounded geometry. We prove long-time existence of the flow and that the strictly area decreasing property is preserved, when the bi-Ricci curvature $BRic_M$ of $M$ is bounded from below by the sectional curvature $\sigma_N$ of $N$. In addition, we obtain smooth convergence to a minimal map if $Ric_M\ge\sup\{0,{\sup}_N\sigma_N\}$. These results significantly improve known results on the graphical mean curvature flow in codimension $2$.

In this paper, we study minimal maps between euclidean spheres. The Hopf fibrations provide explicit examples of such minimal maps. Moreover, their corresponding graphs have second fundamental form of constant norm. We prove that a minimal submersion from $S^3$ to $S^2$ whose Gauss map satisfies a suitable pinching condition must be weakly conformal and with totally geodesic fibers. As a consequence, we obtain that an equivariant minimal submersion from $S^3$ to $S^2$ coincides with the Hopf fibration. Furthermore, we prove that a minimal map $f:S^3 \to S^2$ with constant singular values and constant norm of the second fundamental form is either constant or, up to isometries, coincides with the Hopf fibration., Comment: References updated

In this note, we prove a Schwarz-Pick type lemma for minimal maps between negatively curved Riemannian surfaces. More precisely, we prove that if $f:M \to N$ is a minimal map with bounded Jacobian between two complete negatively curved Riemann surfaces M and N whose sectional curvatures $\sigma_M$ and $\sigma_N$ satisfy $inf\sigma_M \ge sup\sigma_N$, then f is area decreasing.

It is shown that an equivariant Lagrangian sphere with a positivity condition on its Ricci curvature develops a type-II singularity under the Lagrangian mean curvature flow that rescales to the product of a grim reaper with a flat Lagrangian subspace. In particular this result applies to the Whitney spheres., Comment: 28 pages, 7 figures

In this article we give a complete description of the evolution of an area decreasing map $f:M\to N$ induced by its mean curvature in the situation where $M$ and $N$ are complete Riemann surfaces with bounded geometry, $M$ being compact, for which their sectional curvatures $\sigma_M$, $\sigma_N$ satisfy $\min\sigma_M\ge\sup\sigma_N$.

In this article we prove that a connected and properly embedded translating soliton in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with uniformly bounded genus on compact sets which is $C^1$-asymptotic to two planes outside a cylinder, either is flat or coincides with the grim reaper cylinder., Comment: 32 pages, 11 figures, original result improved, to appear in Journal f\"ur die reine und angewandte Mathematik

In the present article we obtain classification results and topological obstructions for the existence of translating solitons of the mean curvature flow., Comment: 37 pages

We investigate length decreasing maps $f:M\to N$ between Riemannian manifolds $M$, $N$ of dimensions $m\ge 2$ and $n$, respectively. Assuming that $M$ is compact and $N$ is complete such that $$\sec_M>-\sigma\quad\text{and}\quad{\Ric}_M\ge(m-1)\sigma\ge(m-1)\sec_N\ge-\mu,$$ where $\sigma$, $\mu$ are positive constants, we show that the mean curvature flow provides a smooth homotopy of $f$ into a constant map.

Let $f:M\to N$ be a smooth area decreasing map between two Riemannian manifolds $(M,\gm)$ and $(N,\gn)$. Under weak and natural assumptions on the curvatures of $(M,\gm)$ and $(N,\gn)$, we prove that the mean curvature flow provides a smooth homotopy of $f$ to a constant map.

Based on works by Hopf, Weinberger, Hamilton and Evans, we state and prove the strong elliptic maximum principle for smooth sections in vector bundles over Riemannian manifolds and give some applications in Differential Geometry. Moreover, we use this maximum principle to obtain various rigidity theorems and Bernstein type theorems in higher codimension for minimal maps between Riemannian manifolds., Comment: 39 pages

The aim of this paper is to complete the local classification of minimal hypersurfaces with vanishing Gauss-Kronecker curvature in a 4-dimensional space form. Moreover, we give a classification of complete minimal hypersurfaces with vanishing Gauss-Kronecker curvature and scalar curvature bounded from below.