The volume distance from a point p to a convex hypersurface M of the (N+1)-dimensional space is defined as the minimum (N+1)-volume of a region bounded by M and a hyperplane H through the point. This function is differentiable in a neighborhood of M and if we restrict its hessian to the minimizing hyperplane H(p) we obtain, after normalization, a symmetric bi-linear form Q.
In this paper, we prove that Q converges to the affine Blaschke metric when we approximate the hypersurface along a curve whose points are centroids of parallel sections. We also show that the rate of this convergence is given by a bilinear form associated with the shape operator of M. These convergence results provide a geometric interpretation of the Blaschke metric and the shape operator in terms of the volume distance.
In a previous memoir 2202.03030, we showed that in every dimension $n \geq 5$, there exists (unexpectedly) no affinely homogeneous hypersurface $H^n \subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ having Hessian of constant rank 1 (and not being affinely equivalent to a product with $\mathbb{R}^{m \geqslant 1}$). The present work is devoted to determine all non-product constant Hessian rank 1 affinely homogeneous hypersurfaces $H^n \subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ in dimensions $n = 2, 3, 4$, the cases $n = 1, 2$ being known. With complete details in the case $n = 2$, we illustrate the main features of what can be termed …
In this paper we prove Hessian and Laplacian comparison theorems for the Lorentzian distance function in a spacetime with sectional (or Ricci) curvature bounded by a certain function by means of a comparison criterion for Riccati equations. Using these results, under suitable conditions, we are able to obtain some estimates on the higher order mean curvatures of spacelike hypersurfaces satisfying a Omori-Yau maximum principle for certain elliptic operators.
The paper introduces a new differential-geometric system which originates from the theory of $m$-Hessian operators. The core of this system is a new notion of invariant differentiation on multidimensional surfaces. This novelty gives rise to the following absolute geometric invariants: invariant derivatives of the surface position vector, an invariant connection on a surface via subsurface, curvature matrices of a hypersurface and its normal sections, $p$-curvatures and $m$-convexity of a hypersurface, etc. Our system also produces a new interpretation of the classic geometric invariants and o…
We prove that every complete non-compact manifold of finite volume contains a (possibly non-compact) minimal hypersurface of finite volume. The main tool is the following result of independent interest: if a region $U$ can be swept out by a family of hypersurfaces of volume at most $V$, then it can be swept out by a family of mutually disjoint hypersurfaces of volume at most $V + \varepsilon$.
We consider the rate of volume growth of large Carnot-Carathéodory metric balls on a class of unbounded model hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{C}^2$. When the hypersurface has a uniform global structure, we show that a metric ball of radius $δ\gg 1$ either has volume on the order of $δ^3$ or $δ^4$. We also give necessary and sufficient conditions on the hypersurface to display either behavior.
Equivalences under the affine group ${\rm Aff} (\mathbb{R}^3)$ of constant Hessian rank $1$ surfaces $S^2 \subset \mathbb{R}^3$, sometimes called parabolic, were, among other objects, studied by Doubrov, Komrakov, Rabinovich, Eastwood, Ezhov, Olver, Chen, Merker, Arnaldsson, Valiquette. Especially, homogeneous models and algebras of differential invariants in various branches have been fully understood. Then what about higher dimensions? We consider hypersurfaces $H^n \subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ graphed as $\{ u = F(x_1, \dots, x_n) \}$ whose Hessian matrix $(F_{x_i x_j})$, a relative affine inv…
In this paper, we introduce a definition of $λ$-hypersurfaces of weighted volume-preserving mean curvature flow in Euclidean space. We prove that $λ$-hypersurfaces are critical points of the weighted area functional for the weighted volume-preserving variations. Furthermore, we classify complete $λ$-hypersurfaces with polynomial area growth and $H-λ\geq 0$, which are generalizations of the results due to Huisken, Colding-Minicozzi. We also define a $\mathcal{F}$-functional and study $\mathcal{F}$-stability of $λ$-hypersurfaces, which extend a result of Colding-Minicozzi. Lower bound growth and…
We establish a min-max estimate on the volume width of a closed Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature. More precisely, we show that every closed Riemannian manifold with nonnegative Ricci curvature admits a PL Morse function whose level set volume is bounded in terms of the volume of the manifold. As a consequence of this sweep-out estimate, there exists an embedded, closed (possibly singular) minimal hypersurface whose volume is bounded in terms of the volume of the manifold.
We consider a convex Euclidean hypersurface that evolves by a volume or area preserving flow with speed given by a general nonhomogeneous function of the mean curvature. For a broad class of possible speed functions, we show that any closed convex hypersurface converges to a round sphere. The proof is based on the monotonicity of the isoperimetric ratio, which allows to control the inner and outer radius of the hypersurface and to deduce uniform bounds on the curvature by maximum principle arguments.
In this paper, we prove a classification for complete embedded constant weighted mean curvature hypersurfaces $Σ\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$. We characterize the hyperplanes and generalized round cylinders by using an intrinsic property on the norm of the second fundamental form. Furthermore, we prove an equivalence of properness, finite weighted volume and exponential volume growth for submanifolds with weighted mean curvature of at most linear growth.
Given a closed Riemannian manifold of dimenion less than eight, we prove a compactness result for the space of closed, embedded minimal hypersurfaces satisfying a volume bound and a uniform lower bound on the first eigenvalue of the stability operator. When the latter assumption is replaced by a uniform lower bound on the p-th Jacobi eigenvalue for p greater or equal than 2 one gains strong convergence to a smooth limit submanifold away from at most p-1 points.
The paper investigates higher dimensional analogues of Burago's inequality bounding the area of a closed surface by its total curvature. We obtain sufficient conditions for hypersurfaces in 4-space that involve the Ricci curvature. We get semi-local variants of the inequality holding in any dimension that involve domains with non-vanishing Gauss-Kronecker curvature. The paper also contains inequalities of isoperimetric type involving the total curvature, as well as a "reverse" isoperimetric inequality for spaces with constant curvature.
This paper concerns the evolution of a closed hypersurface of dimension $n(\geq 2)$ in the Euclidean space ${\mathbb{R}}^{n+1}$ under a mixed volume preserving flow. The speed equals a power $β(\geq 1)$ of homogeneous, either convex or concave, curvature functions of degree one plus a mixed volume preserving term, including the case of powers of the mean curvature and of the Gauss curvature. The main result is that if the initial hypersurface satisfies a suitable pinching condition, there exists a unique, smooth solution of the flow for all times, and the evolving hypersurfaces converge expone…
Guan-Ren-Wang established the curvature estimate of convex hypersurface satisfying the Weingarten curvature equation $σ_{k}(κ(X)) = f(X,ν(X))$. In this note, we give a simple proof of this result.
In this paper we generalize the main result of [4] for manifolds that are not necessarily Einstein. In fact, we obtain an upper bound for the volume of a locally volume-minimizing closed hypersurface $Σ$ of a Riemannian 5-manifold $M$ with scalar curvature bounded from below by a positive constant in terms of the total traceless Ricci curvature of $Σ$. Furthermore, if $Σ$ saturates the respective upper bound and $M$ has nonnegative Ricci curvature, then $Σ$ is isometric to $\mathbb{S}^4$ up to scaling and $M$ splits in a neighborhood of $Σ$. Also, we obtain a rigidity result for the Riemannian…
In a rotationally symmetric space $\oM$ around an axis A (whose precise definition includes all real space forms), we consider a domain $G$ limited by two equidistant hypersurfaces orthogonal to A. Let $M \subset \oM$ be a revolution hypersurface generated by a graph over A, with boundary in $\partial G$ and orthogonal to it. We study the evolution $M_t$ of $M$ under the volume-preserving mean curvature flow requiring that the boundary of $M_t$ rests on $\partial G$ and keeps orthogonal to it. We prove that: a) the generating curve of $M_t$ remains a graph; b) the flow exists while $M_t$ does …
In an ambient space with rotational symmetry around an axis (which include the Hyperbolic and Euclidean spaces), we study the evolution under the volume-preserving mean curvature flow of a revolution hypersurface M generated by a graph over the axis of revolution and with boundary in two totally geodesic hypersurfaces (tgh for short). Requiring that, for each time t, the evolving hypersurface M_t meets such tgh ortogonally, we prove that: a) the flow exists while M_t does not touch the axis of rotation; b) throughout the time interval of existence, b1) the generating curve of M_t remains a gra…
In this paper, we derive curvature estimates for strongly stable hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature immersed in $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$, which show that the locally controlled volume growth yields a globally controlled volume growth if $\partial M=\emptyset$. Moreover, we deduce a Bernstein-type theorem for complete stable hypersurfaces with constant mean curvature of arbitrary dimension, given a finite $L^p$-norm curvature condition.
Let $(M,g_0)$ be a closed Riemannian manifold of dimension $n$, for $3 \leq n \leq 7$, and non-negative Ricci curvature. Let $g = ϕ^2 g_0$ be a metric in the conformal class of $g_0$. We show that there exists a smooth closed embedded minimal hypersurface in $(M,g)$ of volume bounded by $C V^{\frac{n-1}{n}}$, where $V$ is the total volume of $(M,g)$ and $C$ is a constant that depends only on $n$. When $Ric(M,g_0) \geq -(n-1)$ we obtain a similar bound with constant $C$ depending only on $n$ and the volume of $(M,g_0)$. Our second result concerns manifolds $(M,g)$ of positive Ricci curvature. W…
In this paper, we prove that a noncompact complete hypersurface with finite weighted volume, weighted mean curvature vector bounded in norm, and isometrically immersed in a complete weighted manifold is proper. In addition, we obtain an estimate for $f$-stability index of a constant weighted mean curvature hypersurface with finite weighted volume and isometrically immersed in a shrinking gradient Ricci soliton that admits at least one parallel field globally defined. For such hypersurface, we still give a necessary condition for equality to be achieved in the estimate obtained.
Let N be a (n+1)-dimensional globally hyperbolic Lorentzian manifold with a compact Cauchy hypersurface. We consider curvature flows in N with different curvature functions F (including the mean curvature, the gauss curvature and the second elementary symmetric polynomial) and a volume preserving term. Under suitable assumptions we prove the long time existence of the flow and the exponential convergence of the corresponding graphs in the $C^\infty$-topology to a hypersurface of constant F-curvature. Furthermore we examine stability properties and foliations of constant F-curvature hypersurfac…
In this paper, we introduce isoparametric functions and isoparametric hypersurfaces in Finsler manifolds and give the necessary and sufficient conditions for a transnormal function to be isoparametric. We then prove that hyperplanes, Minkowski hyperspheres and $F^*$-Minkowski cylinders in a Minkowski space with $BH$-volume (resp. $HT$-volume) form are all isoparametric hypersurfaces with one and two distinct constant principal curvatures respectively. Moreover, we give a complete classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces in Randers-Minkowski spaces and construct a counter example, which sh…
We study $λ$-hypersurfaces that are critical points of a Gaussian weighted area functional $\int_Σ e^{-\frac{|x|^2}{4}}dA$ for compact variations that preserve weighted volume. First, we prove various gap and rigidity theorems for complete $λ$-hypersurfaces in terms of the norm of the second fundamental form $|A|$. Second, we show that in one dimension, the only smooth complete and embedded $λ$-hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{R}^2$ with $λ\geq 0$ are lines and round circles. Moreover, we establish a Bernstein type theorem for $λ$-hypersurfaces which states that smooth $λ$-hypersurfaces that are enti…
We show that a complete, two-sided, stable immersed anisotropic minimal hypersurface in $\mathbf{R}^4$ has intrinsic cubic volume growth, provided the parametric elliptic integral is $C^2$-close to the area functional. We also obtain an interior volume upper bound for stable anisotropic minimal hypersurfaces in the unit ball. We can estimate the constants explicitly in all of our results. In particular, this paper gives an alternative proof of our recent stable Bernstein theorem for minimal hypersurfaces in $\mathbf{R}^4$. The new proof is more closely related to techniques from the study of s…
This paper concerns closed hypersurfaces of dimension $n(\geq 2)$ in the hyperbolic space ${\mathbb{H}}_κ^{n+1}$ of constant sectional curvature $κ$ evolving in direction of its normal vector, where the speed is given by a power $β(\geq 1/m)$ of the $m$th mean curvature plus a volume preserving term, including the case of powers of the mean curvature and of the $\mbox{Gauß}$ curvature. The main result is that if the initial hypersurface satisfies that the ratio of the biggest and smallest principal curvature is close enough to 1 everywhere, depending only on $n$, $m$, $β$ and $κ$, then under t…
We consider a smooth Euclidean solid cone endowed with a smooth homogeneous density function used to weight Euclidean volume and hypersurface area. By assuming convexity of the cone and a curvature-dimension condition we prove that the unique compact, orientable, second order minima of the weighted area under variations preserving the weighted volume and with free boundary in the boundary of the cone are intersections with the cone of round spheres centered at the vertex.
Bishop's volume comparison theorem states that a compact $n$-manifold with Ricci curvature larger than the standard $n$-sphere has less volume. While the traditional proof uses geodesic balls, we present another proof using isoperimetric hypersurfaces, also known as "soap bubbles," which minimize area for a given volume. Curiously, isoperimetric hypersurfaces can have codimension 7 singularities, an interesting challenge we are forced to overcome.
We study the convergence of an axially symmetric hypersurface evolving by volume preserving mean curvature flow. Assuming the surface is not pinching off along the axis at any time during the flow, and without any additional conditions, as for example on the curvature, we prove that it converges to a hemisphere, when the hypersurface has a free boundary and satisfies Neumann boundary data, and to a sphere when it is compact without boundary.
While studying the existence of closed geodesics and minimal hypersurfaces in compact manifolds, the concept of width was introduced in different contexts. Generally, the width is realized by the energy of the closed geodesics or the volume of minimal hypersurfaces, which are found by the Minimax argument. Recently, Marques and Neves used the $p$-width to prove the existence of infinite many minimal hypersurfaces in compact manifolds with positive Ricci curvature. However, whether the $p$-width can be realized as the volume of minimal hypersurfaces is not known yet. We introduced the concept o…
Following P. M. H. Wilson's paper on sectional curvatures of Kahler moduli, we consider a natural Riemannian metric on a hypersurface f=1 in a real vector space, defined using the Hessian of a homogeneous polynomial f. We give examples to answer a question by Wilson about when this metric has nonpositive curvature. Also, we exhibit a large class of polynomials f on R^3 such that the associated metric has constant negative curvature. Dubrovin found another such polynomial on R^3, the Maschke sextic. We ask if these examples are the only ones with constant negative curvature, and we prove some p…
We classify the volume preserving stable hypersurfaces in the real projective space $\mathbb{RP}^n$. As a consequence, the solutions of the isoperimetric problem are tubular neighborhoods of projective subspaces $\mathbb{RP}^k\subset \mathbb{RP}^n$ (starting with points). This confirms a conjecture of Burago and Zalgaller from 1988 and extends to higher dimensions previous result of M. Ritoré and A. Ros on $\mathbb{RP}^3$. We also derive an Willmore type inequality for antipodal invariant hypersurfaces in $\mathbb{S}^n$.
We study a volume preserving curvature flow of convex hypersurfaces, driven by a power of the $k$-th elementary symmetric polynomial in the principal curvatures. Unlike most of the previous works on related problems, we do not require assumptions on the curvature pinching of the initial datum. We prove that the solution exists for all times and that the speed remains bounded and converges to a constant in an integral norm. In the case of the volume preserving scalar curvature flow, we can prove that the hypersurfaces converge smoothly and exponentially fast to a round sphere.
In this paper, we discuss anisotropic submanifolds and isoparametric hypersurfaces in a Randers space form (N,F) with the navigation datum (h,W). We find that (N, F) with respect to the BH-volume and (N,h) have the same isoparametric hypersurfaces although, in general, their isoparametric functions are different. This implies that the classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces in a Randers space form is the same as that in Riemannian case. Lastly, we give some examples of isoparametric functions in Randers space forms.
We develop area and volume comparison theorems for the evolution of spacelike, acausal, causally complete hypersurfaces in Lorentzian manifolds, where one has a lower bound on the Ricci tensor along timelike curves, and an upper bound on the mean curvature of the hypersurface. Using these results, we give a new proof of Hawking's singularity theorem.
We consider the flow of closed convex hypersurfaces in Euclidean space $\mathbb{R}^{n+1}$ with speed given by a power of the $k$-th mean curvature $E_k$ plus a global term chosen to impose a constraint involving the enclosed volume $V_{n+1}$ and the mixed volume $V_{n+1-k}$ of the evolving hypersurface. We prove that if the initial hypersurface is strictly convex, then the solution of the flow exists for all time and converges to a round sphere smoothly. No curvature pinching assumption is required on the initial hypersurface.
In this article, we continue the work in \cite{GL} and study a normalized hypersurface flow in the more general ambient setting of warped product spaces. This flow preserves the volume of the bounded domain enclosed by a graphical hypersurface, and monotonically decreases the hypersurface area. As an application, the isoperimetric problem in warped product spaces is solved for such domains.
We study a volume/area preserving curvature flow of hypersurfaces that are convex by horospheres in the hyperbolic space, with velocity given by a generic positive, increasing function of the mean curvature, not necessarly homogeneous. For this class of speeds we prove the exponential convergence to a geodesic sphere. The proof is ispired by [10] and is based on the preserving of the convexity by horospheres that allows to bound the inner and outer radii and to give uniform bounds on the curvature by maximum principle arguments. In order to deduce the exponential trend, we study the behaviour …
Let $(M,g)$ be a complete $(n+1)$-dimensional Riemannian manifold with $2\leq n\leq 6$. Our main theorem generalizes the solution of S.-T. Yau's conjecture on the abundance of minimal surfaces and builds on a result of M. Gromov. Suppose that $(M,g)$ has bounded geometry, or more generally is thick at infinity. Then the following dichotomy holds for the space of closed hypersurfaces in $M$: either there are infinitely many saddle points of the $n$-volume functional, or there is none. Additionally, we give a new short proof of the existence of a finite volume minimal hypersurface in finite volu…
We show that the Morse index of a closed minimal hypersurface in a four-dimensional Riemannian manifold cannot be bound in terms of the volume and the topological invariants of the hypersurface itself by presenting a method for constructing Riemannian metrics on S^4 that admit embedded minimal hyperspheres of uniformly bounded volume and arbitrarily large Morse index. The phenomena we exhibit are in striking contrast with the three-dimensional compactness results by Choi-Schoen.
