We conclude the classification of cohomogeneity one actions on symmetric spaces of rank one by classifying cohomogeneity one actions on quaternionic hyperbolic spaces up to orbit equivalence. As a by-product of our proof, we produce uncountably many examples of inhomogeneous isoparametric families of hypersurfaces with constant principal curvatures in quaternionic hyperbolic spaces.
In this paper, we introduce isoparametric functions and isoparametric hypersurfaces in conic Finsler spaces. We find that in a conic Minkowski space, besides the conic Minkowski hyperplanes, conic Minkowski hyperspheres and conic Minkowski cylinders, which are all isoparametric hypersurfaces, there are probably other isoparametric hypersurfaces, such as helicoids. Moreover, we give a complete classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces in kropina spaces with constant flag curvature.
This paper gives a survey of recent progress in isoparametric functions and isoparametric hypersurfaces, mainly in two directions. (1) Isoparametric functions on Riemannian manifolds, including exotic spheres. The existences and non-existences will be considered. (2) The Yau conjecture on the first eigenvalues of the embedded minimal hypersurfaces in the unit spheres. The history and progress of the Yau conjecture on minimal isoparametric hypersurfaces will be stated.
In this note, we give a classification of complete anisotropic isoparametric hypersurfaces, i.e., hypersurfaces with constant anisotropic principal curvatures, in Euclidean spaces, which is in analogue with the classical case for isoparametric hypersurfaces in Euclidean spaces. On the other hand, by an example of local anisotropic isoparametric surface constructed by B. Palmer, we find that anisotropic isoparametric hypersurfaces have both local and global aspects as in the theory of proper Dupin hypersurfaces.
In this paper, we study the relationship between isoparametric hypersurfaces and hypersurfaces with constant principal curvatures in Finsler spaces. We give some examples of isoparametric hypersurfaces with (non)constant principal curvatures on Randers manifolds with nonconstant flag curvatures. Furthermore, we construct an example of a conformally flat Randers manifold which admits a family of nonisoparametric hyperplanes with constant principal curvatures.
In this paper, we introduce and study the locally strongly convex equiaffine isoparametric hypersurfaces and equiaffine isoparametric functions on the affine space $A^{n+1}$. Motivated by the case on the Euclidean space $E^{n+1}$, we first introduce the concept of equiaffine parallel hypersurfaces in $A^{n+1}$, obtaining some fundamental identities with the basic equiaffine geometric invariants, and then we define the equiaffine isoparametric hypersurfaces to be ones that are among families of equiaffine parallel hypersurfaces of constant affine mean curvature in $A^{n+1}$. Finally, we introdu…
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.
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…
A new proof of the homogeneity of isoparametric hypersurfaces with six simple principal curvatures (Dorfmeister-Neher's theorem) is given in a method applicable to the multiplicity two case.
In this paper we develop the notion of screen isoparametric hypersurface for null hypersurfaces of Robertson-Walker spacetimes. Using this formalism we derive Cartan identities for the screen principal curvatures of null screen hypersurfaces in Lorentzian space forms and provide a local characterization of such hypersurfaces.
Using a navigation process with the datum $(F,V)$, in which $F$ is a Finsler metric and the smooth tangent vector field $V$ satisfies $F(-V(x))>1$ everywhere, a Lorentz Finsler metric $\tilde{F}$ can be induced. Isoparametric functions and isoparametric hypersurfaces with or without involving a smooth measure can be defined for $\tilde{F}$. When the vector field $V$ in the navigation datum is homothetic, we prove the local correspondences between isoparametric functions and isoparametric hypersurfaces before and after this navigation process. Using these correspondences, we provide some exampl…
In this paper, we study isoparametric hypersurfaces in Finsler space forms by investigating focal points, tubes and parallel hypersurfaces of submanifolds. We prove that the focal submanifolds of isoparametric hypersurfaces are anisotropic-minimal and obtain the Cartan-type formula in a Finsler space form with vanishing reversible torsion, from which we give some classifications on the number of distinct principal curvatures or their multiplicities.
In this paper, we obtain a Cartan type identity for curvature-adapted isoparametric hypersurfaces in symmetric spaces of compact type or non-compact type. This identity is a generalization of Cartan-D'Atri's identity for curvature-adapted(=amenable) isoparametric hypersurfaces in rank one symmetric spaces. Furthermore, by using the Cartan type identity, we show that certain kind of curvature-adapted isoparametric hypersurfaces in a symmetric space of non-compact type are principal orbits of Hermann actions.
We are studying a relationship between isoparametric hypersurfaces in spheres with four distinct principal curvatures and the moment maps of certain Hamiltonian actions. In this paper, we consider the isoparametric hypersurfaces obtained from the isotropy representations of compact irreducible Hermitian symmetric spaces of rank two. We prove that the Cartan-Münzner polynomials of these hypersurfaces can be written as squared-norms of the moment maps for some Hamiltonian actions. The proof is based on the structure theory of symmetric spaces.
We construct uncountably many isoparametric families of hypersurfaces in Damek-Ricci spaces. We characterize those of them that have constant principal curvatures by means of the new concept of generalized Kahler angle. It follows that, in general, these examples are inhomogeneous and have nonconstant principal curvatures. We also find new cohomogeneity one actions on quaternionic hyperbolic spaces, and an isoparametric family of inhomogeneous hypersurfaces with constant principal curvatures in the Cayley hyperbolic plane.
In a previous work, we studied isoparametric functions on Riemannian manifolds, especially on exotic spheres. One result there says that, in the family of isoparametric hypersurfaces of a closed Riemannian manifold, there exist at least one minimal isoparametric hypersurface. In this note, we show such minimal isoparametric hypersurface is also unique in the family if the ambient manifold has positive Ricci curvature. Moreover, we give a proof of the Theorem D claimed by Q.M.Wang (without proof) which asserts that the focal submanifolds of an isoparametric function on a complete Riemannian man…
In this paper, we characterize and classify the isoparametric hypersurfaces with constant principal curvatures in the product spaces $ \mathbb{Q}^{2}_{c_{1}} \times \mathbb{Q}^{2}_{c_{2}}$, where $\mathbb{Q}^{2}_{c_{i}}$ is a space form with constant sectional curvature $c_{i}$, for $c_1 \neq c_2$.
This paper introduces the notion of $k$-isoparametric hypersurface in an $(n+1)$-dimensional Riemannian manifold for $k=0,1,...,n$. Many fundamental and interesting results (towards the classification of homogeneous hypersurfaces among other things) are given in complex projective spaces, complex hyperbolic spaces, and even in locally rank one symmetric spaces.
The main purpose of this note is to construct almost complex or complex structures on certain isoparametric hypersurfaces in unit spheres. As a consequence, complex structures on $S^1\times S^7\times S^6$, and on $S^1\times S^3\times S^2$ with vanishing first Chern class, are built.
Let $x: \mathbf{M} \rightarrow {\mathbb Q}^{n+1}_1$ be a regular space-like hypersurface in the conformal space ${\mathbb Q}^{n+1}_1$. We classify all those hypersurfaces with parallel Blaschke tensor in the conformal space up to the conformal equivalence.
The classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces in spheres with four or six different principal curvatures is still not complete. In this paper we develop a structural approach that may be helpful for a classification. Instead of working with the isoparametric hypersurface family in the sphere, we consider the associated Lagrangian submanifold of the real Grassmannian of oriented $2$-planes in $\mathbb{R}^{n+2}$. We obtain new geometric insights into classical invariants and identities in terms of the geometry of the Lagrangian submanifold.
We show that the evolution of isoparametric hypersurfaces of Riemannian manifolds by the mean curvature flow is given by a reparametrization of the parallel family in short time, as long as the uniqueness of the mean curvature flow holds for the initial data and the corresponding ambient space. As an application, we provide a class of Riemannian manifolds that admit hypersurfaces with constant principal curvatures, which are not isoparametric hypersurfaces. Furthermore, for a class of ambient spaces, we show that the singularities developed by the mean curvature flow with isoparametric hypersu…
We revisit Allendoerfer-Weil's formula for the Euler characteristic of embedded hypersurfaces in constant sectional curvature manifolds, first taking some time to re-prove it while demonstrating techniques of [2] and then applying it to gain new understanding of isoparametric hypersurfaces.
We showed the existence of non-radial solutions of the equation $Δu -λu + λu^q =0$ on the round sphere $S^m$, for $q<2m/(m-2)$, and study the number of such solutions in terms of $λ$. We show that for any isoparametric hypersurface $M\subset S^m$ there are solutions such that $M$ is a regular level set (and the number of such solutions increases with $λ$). We also show similar results for isoparametric hypersurfaces in general Riemannian manifolds. These solutions give multiplicity results for metrics of constant scalar curvature on conformal classes of Riemannian products.
For a closed hypersurface $M^n\subset S^{n+1}(1)$ with constant mean curvature and constant non-negative scalar curvature, the present paper shows that if $\mathrm{tr}(\mathcal{A}^k)$ are constants for $k=3,\ldots, n-1$ for shape operator $\mathcal{A}$, then $M$ is isoparametric. The result generalizes the theorem of de Almeida and Brito \cite{dB90} for $n=3$ to any dimension $n$, strongly supporting Chern's conjecture.
We prove that an isoparametric hypersurface with four principal curvatures and multiplicity pair $(7,8)$ is either the one constructed by Ozeki and Takeuchi, or one of the two constructed by Ferus, Karcher, and Münzner. This completes the classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces in spheres that É. Cartan initiated in the late 1930s.
We find many examples of compact Riemannian manifolds $(M,g)$ whose closed minimal hypersurfaces satisfy a lower bound on their index that is linear in their first Betti number. Moreover, we show that these bounds remain valid when the metric $g$ is replaced with $g'$ in a neighbourhood of $g$. Our examples $(M,g)$ consist of certain minimal isoparametric hypersurfaces of spheres; their focal manifolds; the Lie groups $SU(n)$ for $n\leq 17$, and $Sp(n)$ for all $n$; and all quaternionic Grassmannians.
In this paper, I study the isoparametric hypersurfaces in a Randers sphere $(S^n,F)$ of constant flag curvature, with the navigation datum $(h,W)$. I prove that an isoparametric hypersurface $M$ for the standard round sphere $(S^n,h)$ which is tangent to $W$ remains isoparametric for $(S^n,F)$ after the navigation process. This observation provides a special class of isoparametric hypersurfaces in $(S^n,F)$, which can be equivalently described as the regular level sets of isoparametric functions $f$ satisfying $-f$ is transnormal. I provide a classification for these special isoparametric hype…
The focal submanifolds of isoparametric hypersurfaces in spheres are all minimal Willmore submanifolds, mostly being $\mathcal{A}$-manifolds in the sense of A.Gray but rarely Ricci-parallel (\cite{QTY},\cite{LY},\cite{TY3}). In this paper we study the geometry of the focal submanifolds via Simons formula. We show that all the focal submanifolds with $g\geq3$ are not normally flat by estimating the normal scalar curvatures. Moreover, we give a complete classification of the semiparallel submanifolds among the focal submanifolds.
An isoparametric hypersurface in unit spheres has two focal submanifolds. Condition A plays a crucial role in the classification theory of isoparametric hypersurfaces in [CCJ07], [Chi16] and [Miy13]. This paper determines $C_A$, the set of points with Condition A in focal submanifolds. It turns out that the points in $C_A$ reach an upper bound of the normal scalar curvature $ρ^{\bot}$ (sharper than that in DDVV inequality [GT08], [Lu11]). We also determine the sets $C_P$ (points with parallel second fundamental form) and $C_E$ (points with Einstein condition), which achieve two lower bounds of…
1. Translated by Thomas E. Cecil, Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, College of the Holy Cross, Worcester, MA 01610, USA; E-mail address: cecil@mathcs.holycross.edu 2. Typed by Wenjiao Yan, School of Mathematical Sciences, Laboratory of Mathematics and Complex Systems, Beijing Normal University, Beijing 100875, China. E-mail address: wjyan@mail.bnu.edu.cn
The classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces with four principal curvatures in spheres in [2] hinges on a crucial characterization, in terms of four sets of equations of the 2nd fundamental form tensors of a focal submanifold, of an isoparametric hypersurface of the type constructed by Ferus, Karcher and Münzner. The proof of the characterization in [2] is an extremely long calculation by exterior derivatives with remarkable cancellations, which is motivated by the idea that an isoparametric hypersurface is defined by an over-determined system of partial differential equations. Therefore,…
The classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces with four principal curvatures in the sphere interplays in a deep fashion with commutative algebra, whose abstract and comprehensive nature might obscure a differential geometer's insight into the classification problem that encompasses a wide spectrum of geometry and topology. In this paper, we make an effort to bridge the gap by walking through the important part of commutative algebra central to the classification of such hypersurfaces, such that all the essential ideal-theoretic ingredients are laid out in a way as much intuitive, motivatin…
Let $M^n$ be an $n$-dimensional umbilic-free hypersurface in the $(n+1)$-dimensional Lorentzian space form $M^{n+1}_1(c)$. Three basic invariants of $M^n$ under the conformal transformation group of $M^{n+1}_1(c)$ are a $1$-form $C$, called conformal $1$-form, a symmetric $(0,2)$ tensor $B$, called conformal second fundamental form, and a symmetric $(0,2)$ tensor $A$, called Blaschke tensor. The so-called para-Blaschke tensor $D^λ=A+λB$, the linear combination of $A$ and $B$, is still a symmetric $(0,2)$ tensor. A spacelike hypersurface is called a para-Blaschke isoparametric spacelike hypersu…
Let $M$ be an isoparametric hypersurface in the sphere $S^n$ with four distinct principal curvatures. Münzner showed that the four principal curvatures can have at most two distinct multiplicities $m_1, m_2$, and Stolz showed that the pair $(m_1,m_2)$ must either be $(2,2)$, $(4,5)$, or be equal to the multiplicities of an isoparametric hypersurface of FKM-type, constructed by Ferus, Karcher and Münzner from orthogonal representations of Clifford algebras. In this paper, we prove that if the multiplicities satisfy $m_2 \geq 3m_1 - 1$, then the isoparametric hypersurface $M$ must be of FKM-type…
Let $M^n$ be a closed Riemannian manifold on which the integral of the scalar curvature is nonnegative. Suppose $\mathfrak{a}$ is a symmetric $(0,2)$ tensor field whose dual $(1,1)$ tensor $\mathcal{A}$ has $n$ distinct eigenvalues, and $\mathrm{tr}(\mathcal{A}^k)$ are constants for $k=1,\cdots, n-1$. We show that all the eigenvalues of $\mathcal{A}$ are constants, generalizing a theorem of de Almeida and Brito \cite{dB90} to higher dimensions. As a consequence, a closed hypersurface $M^n$ in $S^{n+1}$ is isoparametric if one takes $\mathfrak{a}$ above to be the second fundamental form, giving…
A hypersurface $M^{n-1}$ in a real space-form ${\bf R}^n$, $S^n$ or $H^n$ is isoparametric if it has constant principal curvatures. For ${\bf R}^n$ and $H^n$, the classification of isoparametric hypersurfaces is complete and relatively simple, but as Elie Cartan showed in a series of four papers in 1938-1940, the subject is much deeper and more complex for hypersurfaces in the sphere $S^n$. A hypersurface $M^{n-1}$ in a real space-form is proper Dupin if the number $g$ of distinct principal curvatures is constant on $M^{n-1}$, and each principal curvature function is constant along each leaf o…
In this paper we show that a Dupin hypersurface with constant Möbius curvatures is Möbius equivalent to either an isoparametric hypersurface in the sphere or a cone over an isoparametric hypersurface in a sphere. We also show that a Dupin hypersurface with constant Laguerre curvatures is Laguerre equivalent to a flat Laguerre isoparametric hypersurface. These results solve the major issues related to the conjectures of Cecil et al on the classification of Dupin hypersurfaces.
The classification work [5], [9] left unsettled only those anomalous isoparametric hypersurfaces with four principal curvatures and multiplicity pair $\{4,5\},\{6,9\}$ or $\{7,8\}$ in the sphere. By systematically exploring the ideal theory in commutative algebra in conjunction with the geometry of isoparametric hypersurfaces, we show that an isoparametric hypersurface with four principal curvatures and multiplicities $\{4,5\}$ in $S^{19}$ is homogeneous, and, moreover, an isoparametric hypersurface with four principal curvatures and multiplicities $\{6,9\}$ in $S^{31}$ is either the inhomogen…
In this article we study the Hamiltonian non-displaceability of Gauss images of isoparametric hypersurfaces in the spheres as Lagrangian submanifolds embedded in complex hyperquadrics.
In this paper, two sequences of minimal isoparametric hypersurfaces are constructed via representations of Clifford algebras. Based on these, we give estimates on eigenvalues of the Laplacian of the focal submanifolds of isoparametric hypersurfaces in unit spheres. This improves results of [TY13] and [TXY14]. Eells and Lemaire [EL83] posed a problem to characterize the compact Riemannian manifold M for which there is an eigenmap from M to S^n. As another application of our constructions, the focal maps give rise to many examples of eigenmaps from minimal isoparametric hypersurfaces to unit sph…
In this paper we construct an end of a self-similar shrinking solution of the mean curvature flow asymptotic to an isoparametric cone C and lying outside of C. We call a cone C in $R^{n+1}$ an isoparametric cone if C is the cone over a compact embedded isoparametric hypersurface $Γ\subset S^n$. The theory of isoparametic hypersurfaces is extremely rich and there are infinitely many distinct classes of examples, each with infinitely many members.
In this sequel, employing more commutative algebra than that explored in \cite{CCJ}, we show that an isoparametric hypersurface with four principal curvatures and multiplicities $(3,4)$ in $S^{15}$ is one constructed by Ozeki-Takeuchi \cite[I]{OT} and Ferus-Karcher-Münzner \cite{FKM}, referred to collectively as of OT-FKM type. In fact, this new approach also gives a considerably simpler, both structurally and technically, proof \cite{CCJ} that an isoparametric hypersurface with four principal curvatures in spheres with the multiplicity constraint $m_2\geq 2m_1-1$ is of OT-FKM type, which left…
