It was conjectured, twenty years ago, the following result that would generalize the so-called rank rigidity theorem for homogeneous Euclidean submanifolds: let M^n, n>=2, be a full and irreducible homogeneous submanifold of the sphere $S^{N-1}\subset R^N$ and such that the normal holonomy group is not transitive (on the unit sphere of the normal space to the sphere). Then M^n must be an orbit of an irreducible s-representation (i.e. the isotropy representation of a semisimple Riemannian symmetric space).
If n=2, then the normal holonomy is always transitive, unless M is a homogeneous isoparametric hypersurface of the sphere (and so the conjecture is true in this case). We prove the conjecture when n=3. In this case M^3 must be either isoparametric or a Veronese submanifold. The proof combines geometric arguments with (delicate) topological arguments that uses information from two different fibrations with the same total space (the holonomy tube and the caustic fibrations).
We also prove the conjecture for n>= 3 when the normal holonomy acts irreducibly and the codimension is the maximal possible n(n+1)/2. This gives a characterization of Veronese submanifolds in terms of normal holonomy. We also extend this last result by replacing the homogeneity assumption by the assumption of minimality (in the sphere).
Another result of the paper, used for the case n=3, is that the number of irreducible factors of the local normal holonomy group, for any Euclidean submanifold M^n, is less or equal than [n/2] (which is the rank of the orthogonal group SO(n)). This bound is sharp and improves the known bound n(n-1)/2.
We study the normal holonomy group, i.e. the holonomy group of the normal connection, of a CR-submanifold of a complex space form. We complete the local classification of normal holonomies for complex submanifolds. We show that the normal holonomy group of a coisotropic submanifold acts as the holonomy representation of a Riemannian symmetric space. In case of a totally real submanifold we give two results about reduction of codimension. We describe explicitly the action of the normal holonomy in the case in which the totally real submanifold is contained in a totally real totally geodesic sub…
In this note we prove that QR-submanifolds of the hyper-Kahler manifolds under some conditions admit the $G_2$ holonomy. We give simplest examples of such QR-submanifolds namely tori. We conjecture that all $G_2$ holonomy manifolds arise in this way.
In this paper we study weakly irreducible holonomy representations of the normal connection of a spacelike submanifold in a pseudo-Riemannian space from. We associate screen representations to weakly irreducible normal holonomy groups and classify the screen representations having the Borel-Lichnérowicz property. In particular, we derive a classification of Lorentzian normal holonomy representations.
We prove a Berger type theorem for the normal holonomy group (i.e., the holonomy group of the normal connection) of a full complete complex submanifold of the complex projective space. Namely, if the normal holonomy does not act transitively, then the submanifold is the complex orbit, in the complex projective space, of the isotropy representation of an irreducible Hermitian symmetric space of rank greater or equal to 3. Moreover, we show that for complete irreducible complex submanifolds of the complex Euclidean space the normal holonomy is generic, i.e., it acts transitively on the unit sphe…
The object of this article is to compute the holonomy group of the normal connection of complex parallel submanifolds of the complex projective space. We also give a new proof of the classification of complex parallel submanifolds by using a normal holonomy approach. Indeed, we explain how these submanifolds can be regarded as the unique complex orbits of the (projectivized) isotropy representation of an irreducible Hermitian symmetric space. Moreover, we show how these important submanifolds are related to other areas of mathematics and theoretical physics. Finally, we state a conjecture abou…
We prove that a maximal totally complex submanifold $N^{2n}$ of the quaternionic projective space $\mathbb{H}\mathbb{P}^n$ ($n\geq 2$) is a parallel submanifold, provided one of the following conditions is satisfied: (1) $N$ is the orbit of a compact Lie group of isometries, (2) the restricted normal holonomy is a proper subgroup of ${\rm U}(n)$.
A submanifold in a real space form attaining equality in the DDVV inequality at every point is called a Wintgen ideal submanifold. They are invariant objects under the Moebius transformations. In this paper, we classify those Wintgen ideal submanifolds of dimension m>3 which are Moebius homogeneous. There are three classes of non-trivial examples, each related with a famous class of homogeneous minimal surfaces in $S^n$ or $CP^n$: the cones over the Veronese surfaces $S^2$ in $S^n$, the cones over homogeneous flat minimal surfaces in $S^n$, and the Hopf bundle over the Veronese embeddings of $…
The deformability condition for submanifolds of fixed degree immersed in a graded manifold can be expressed as a system of first order PDEs. In the particular but important case of ruled submanifolds, we introduce a natural choice of coordinates, which allows to deeply simplify the formal expression of the system, and reduce it to a system of ODEs along a characteristic direction. We introduce a notion of higher dimensional holonomy map in analogy with the one-dimensional case [J. Differential Geom., 36(3):551-589, 1992], and we provide a characterization for singularities as well as a deforma…
In this paper we complete the study of the normal holonomy groups of complex submanifolds (non nec. complete) of Cn or CPn. We show that irreducible but non transitive normal holonomies are exactly the Hermitian s-representations of [CD09, Table 1] (see Corollary 1.1). For each one of them we construct a non necessarily complete complex submanifold whose normal holonomy is the prescribed s-representation. We also show that if the submanifold has irreducible non transitive normal holonomy then it is an open subset of the smooth part of one of the characteristic varieties studied by N. Mok in hi…
We investigate parallel submanifolds of a Riemannian symmetric space $N$. The special case of a symmetric submanifold has been investigated by many authors before and is well understood. We observe that there is an intrinsic property of the second fundamental form which distinguishes full symmetric submanifolds from arbitrary full parallel submanifolds of $N$, usually called "1-fullness of $M$". Furthermore, for every parallel submanifold $M$ of $N$ we consider the pullback bundle $TN|M$ with its induced connection, which admits a distinguished parallel subbundle $osc M$, usually called the "s…
Let $π:P\to B$ be a smooth $G$-bundle over a compact Riemannian manifold $B$ and $c$ a smooth loop in $B$ of constant seed $a(>0)$, where $G$ is compact semi-simple Lie group. In this paper, we prove that the holonomy map ${\rm hol}_c:\mathcal A_P^{H^s}\to G$ is a homothetic submersion of coefficient $a$, where $s$ is a non-negative integer, $\mathcal A_P^{H^s}$ is the Hilbert space of all $H^s$-connections of the bundle $P$. In particular, we prove that, if $s=0$, then ${\rm hol}_c$ has minimal regularizable fibres. From this fact, we can derive that each component of the inverse image of any…
This paper is a continuation of math.DG/0408005. We first construct special Lagrangian submanifolds of the Ricci-flat Stenzel metric (of holonomy SU(n)) on the cotangent bundle of S^n by looking at the conormal bundle of appropriate submanifolds of S^n. We find that the condition for the conormal bundle to be special Lagrangian is the same as that discovered by Harvey-Lawson for submanifolds in R^n in their pioneering paper. We also construct calibrated submanifolds in complete metrics with special holonomy G_2 and Spin(7) discovered by Bryant and Salamon on the total spaces of appropriate bun…
We study the uniqueness of minimal submanifolds and the stability of the mean curvature flow in several well-known model spaces of manifolds of special holonomy. These include the Stenzel metric on the cotangent bundle of spheres, the Calabi metric on the cotangent bundle of complex projective spaces, and the Bryant--Salamon metrics on vector bundles over certain Einstein manifolds. In particular, we show that the zero sections, as calibrated submanifolds with respect to their respective ambient metrics, are unique among compact minimal submanifolds and are dynamically stable under the mean cu…
A theorem of Lawson and Simons states that the only stable minimal submanifolds in complex projective spaces are complex submanifolds. We generalize their result to the cases of quaternionic and octonionic projective spaces. Our approach gives a unified viewpoint towards conformal and projective geometries.
Let $M$ be a most singular orbit of the isotropy representation of a simple symmetric space. Let $(ν_i, Φ_i)$ be an irreducible factor of the normal holonomy representation $(ν_pM, Φ(p))$. We prove that there exists a basis of a section $Σ_i\subset ν_i$ of $Φ_i$ such that the corresponding shape operators have rational eigenvalues (this is not in general true for other isotropy orbits). Conversely, this property, if referred to some non-transitive irreducible normal holonomy factor, characterizes the isotropy orbits. We also prove that the definition of a submanifold with constant principal cu…
We develop a holonomy reduction procedure for general Cartan geometries. We show that, given a reduction of holonomy, the underlying manifold naturally decomposes into a disjoint union of initial submanifolds. Each such submanifold corresponds to an orbit of the holonomy group on the modelling homogeneous space and carries a canonical induced Cartan geometry. The result can therefore be understood as a `curved orbit decomposition'. The theory is then applied to the study of several invariant overdetermined differential equations in projective, conformal and CR-geometry. This makes use of an eq…
In this note, we investigate the well-known Yau rigidity theorem for minimal submanifolds in spheres. Using the parameter method of Yau and the DDVV inequality verified by Lu, Ge and Tang, we prove that if $M$ is an $n$-dimensional oriented compact minimal submanifold in the unit sphere $S^{n+p}(1)$, and if $K_{M}\geq\frac{sgn(p-1)p}{2(p+1)},$ then $M$ is either a totally geodesic sphere, the standard immersion of the product of two spheres, or the Veronese surface in $S^4(1)$. Here $sgn(\cdot)$ is the standard sign function. We also extend the rigidity theorem above to the case where $M$ is a…
In this paper, we investigate complete curvature-adapted submanifolds with maximal flat section and trivial normal holonomy group in symmetric spaces of compact type or non-compact type under certain condition, and derive the constancy of the principal curvatures of such submanifolds. As its result, we can derive that such submanifolds are isoparametric.
The exceptional holonomy groups are G2 in 7 dimensions, and Spin(7) in 8 dimensions. Riemannian manifolds with these holonomy groups are Ricci-flat. This is a survey paper on exceptional holonomy, in two parts. Part I introduces the exceptional holonomy groups, and explains constructions for compact 7- and 8-manifolds with holonomy G2 and Spin(7). The simplest such constructions work by using techniques from complex geometry and Calabi-Yau analysis to resolve the singularities of a torus orbifold T^7/G or T^8/G, for G a finite group preserving a flat G2 or Spin(7)-structure on T^7 or T^8. Ther…
Due to its length and several inaccuracies, this article is no longer suggested for reading. Moreover, in the meantime certain results presented herein could be improved by the author in a non-trivial fashion. Instead, the reader is referred to the following two articles: The extrinsic holonomy Lie algebra of a parallel submanifold (arXiv:0904.2611), Extrinsic homogeneity of parallel submanifolds (arXiv:0904.2636).
Let M^7 a manifold with holonomy in G_2, and Y^3 an associative submanifold with boundary in a coassociative submanifold. In [5], the authors proved that M_{X,Y}, the moduli space of its associative deformations with boundary in the fixed X, has finite virtual dimension. Using Bochner's technique, we give a vanishing theorem that forces M_{X,Y} to be locally smooth.
Let $x:M\to S^{n+p}$ be an $n$-dimensional submanifold in an $(n+p)$-dimensional unit sphere $S^{n+p}$, $x:M\to S^{n+p}$ is called a Willmore submanifold to the following Willmore functional: $$ \int_M(S-nH^2)^{\frac{n}{2}}dv, $$ where $S=\sum\limits_{α,i,j}(h^α_{ij})^2$ is the square of the length of the second fundamental form, $H$ is the mean curvature of $M$. In [13], author proved an integral inequality of Simon's type for $n$-dimensional compact Willmore hypersurfaces in $S^{n+1}$ and gave a characterization of {\it Willmore tori}. In this paper, we generalize this result to $n$-dimensio…
A nearly parallel $G_{2}$-manifold $Y$ is a Riemannian 7-manifold whose cone $C(Y) = \mathbb{R}_{>0} \times Y$ has the holonomy group contained in ${\rm Spin(7)}$. In other words, it is a spin 7-manifold with a real Killing spinor. We have a special class of calibrated submanifolds called Cayley submanifolds in $C(Y)$. An associative submanifold in $Y$ is a minimal 3-submanifold whose cone is Cayley. We study its deformations, namely, Cayley cone deformations, explicitly when it is homogeneous in the 7-sphere $S^{7}$.
We provide an introduction to the theory of calibrated submanifolds through the key examples related with special holonomy. We focus on calibrated geometry in Calabi-Yau, G$_2$ and Spin(7) manifolds, and describe fundamental results and techniques in the field.
On a closed connected oriented manifold $M$ we study the space $\mathcal{M}_\|(M)$ of all Riemannian metrics which admit a non-zero parallel spinor on the universal covering. Such metrics are Ricci-flat, and all known Ricci-flat metrics are of this form. We show the following: The space $\mathcal{M}_\|(M)$ is a smooth submanifold of the space of all metrics, and its premoduli space is a smooth finite-dimensional manifold. The holonomy group is locally constant on $\mathcal{M}_\|(M)$. If $M$ is spin, then the dimension of the space of parallel spinors is a locally constant function on $\mathcal…
For the ``Hopf bundle'' $S^1\to S^{2n,1} \to {\mathbb H}^n$, horizontal lifts of simple closed curves are studied. Let $γ$ be a piecewise smooth, simple closed curve on a complete totally geodesic surface $S$ in the base space. Then the holonomy displacement along $γ$ is given by $$ V(γ)=e^{λA(γ) i} $$ where $A(γ)$ is the area of the region on the surface $S$ surrounded by $γ$; $λ=1/2 $ or 0 depending on whether $S$ is a complex submanifold or not. We also carry out a similar investigation for the complex Heisenberg group ${\mathbb R} \to {\mathcal H}^{2n+1} \to {\mathbb C}^n$.
The squashed 7-sphere $S^{7}$ is a 7-sphere with an Einstein metric given by the canonical variation and its cone $\mathbb{R}^{8} - \{ 0 \}$ has full holonomy ${\rm Spin}(7)$. There is a canonical calibrating 4-form $Φ$ on $\mathbb{R}^{8} - \{ 0 \}$. A minimal 3-submanifold in $S^{7}$ is called associative if its cone is calibrated by $Φ$. In this paper, we classify two types of fundamental associative submanifolds in the squashed $S^{7}$. One is obtained by the intersection with a 4-plane and the other is homogeneous. Then we study their infinitesimal associative deformations and explicitly s…
We construct examples of exponentially asymptotically cylindrical Riemannian 7-manifolds with holonomy group equal to G_2. To our knowledge, these are the first such examples. We also obtain exponentially asymptotically cylindrical coassociative calibrated submanifolds. Finally, we apply our results to show that one of the compact G_2-manifolds constructed by Joyce by desingularisation of a flat orbifold T^7/Γcan be deformed to one of the compact G_2-manifolds obtainable as a generalized connected sum of two exponentially asymptotically cylindrical SU(3)-manifolds via the method given by the f…
We consider parallel submanifolds $M$ of a Riemannian symmetric space $N$ and study the question whether $M$ is extrinsically homogeneous in $N$\,, i.e.\ whether there exists a subgroup of the isometry group of $N$ which acts transitively on $M$\,. First, given a "2-jet" $(W,b)$ at some point $p\in N$ (i.e. $W\subset T_pN$ is a linear space and $b:W\times W\to W^\bot$ is a symmetric bilinear form)\,, we derive necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of a parallel submanifold with extrinsically homogeneous tangent holonomy bundle which passes through $p$ and whose 2-jet at $p$ is …
In this work, we study the Willmore submanifolds in a closed connected Riemannian manifold which are orbits for the isometric action of a compact connected Lie group. We call them homogeneous Willmore submanifolds or Willmore orbits. The criteria for these special Willmore submanifolds is much easier than the general theory which requires a complicated Euler-Lagrange equation. Our main theorem claims, when the orbit type stratification for the group action satisfies certain conditions, then we can find a Willmore orbit in each stratified subset. Some classical examples of special importance, l…
Let $M$ and $N$ be Riemannian symmetric spaces and $f:M\to N$ be a parallel isometric immersion. We additionally assume that there exist simply connected, irreducible Riemannian symmetric spaces $M_i$ with $\dim(M_i)\geq 2$ for $i=1,...,r$ such that $M\cong M_1\times...\times M_r$ . As a starting point, we describe how the intrinsic product structure of $M$ is reflected by a distinguished, fiberwise orthogonal direct sum decomposition of the corresponding first normal bundle. Then we consider the (second) osculating bundle $\osc f$, which is a $\nabla^N$-parallel vector subbundle of the pullba…
We give a new construction of compact Riemannian 7-manifolds with holonomy $G_2$. Let $M$ be a torsion-free $G_2$-manifold (which can have holonomy a proper subgroup of $G_2$) such that $M$ admits an involution $ι$ preserving the $G_2$-structure. Then $M/{\langle ι\rangle}$ is a $G_2$-orbifold, with singular set $L$ an associative submanifold of $M$, where the singularities are locally of the form $\mathbb R^3 \times (\mathbb R^4 / \{\pm 1\})$. We resolve this orbifold by gluing in a family of Eguchi-Hanson spaces, parametrized by a nonvanishing closed and coclosed $1$-form $λ$ on $L$. Much of…
