A conformal mapping for a rectilinear congruence

In this paper we deal with oriented rectilinear congruences in a three-dimensional Euclidean space E³ establishing a conformal mapping between their middle surface and their middle envelope. We give some properties and determine a special class of them, which have a minimal middle envelope.     

On geometric vector fields of Minkowski spaces and their applications

As it is well-known, a Minkowski space is a finite dimensional real vector space equipped with a Minkowski functional F. By the help of its second order partial derivatives we can introduce a Riemannian metric on the vector space and the indicatrix hypersurface S:=F⁻¹(1) can be investigated as a Riemannian submanifold in the usual sense.Our aim is to study affine vector fields on the vector space which are, at the same time, affine with respect to the Funk metric associated with the indicatrix hypersurface. We give an upper bound for the dimension of their (real) Lie algebra and it is proved that equality holds if and only if the Minkowski space is Euclidean. Criteria of the existence is also given in lower dimensional cases. Note that in case of a Euclidean vector space the Funk metric reduces to the standard Cayley-Klein metric perturbed with a nonzero 1-form.As an application of our results we present the general solution of Matsumoto's problem on conformal equivalent Berwald and locally Minkowski manifolds. The reasoning is based on the theory of harmonic vector fields on the tangent spaces as Riemannian manifolds or, in an equivalent way, as Minkowski spaces. Our main result states that the conformal equivalence between two Berwald manifolds must be trivial unless the manifolds are Riemannian.     

Warped product structure of submanifolds with nonpositive extrinsic curvature in space forms

By means of a simple warped product construction we obtain examples of submanifolds with nonpositive extrinsic curvature and minimal index of relative nullity in any space form. We then use this to extend to arbitrary space forms four known splitting results for Euclidean submanifolds with nonpositive sectional curvature.     

Minimal sphere bundles in Euclidean spheres

The purpose of this paper is to pursue to work initiated by Hsiang-Lawson and study cohomogeneity 1 minimal hypersurfaces in Euclidean spheres which are equivariant under the linear isotropy representation of a rank 3 compact symmetric space.Supported by the grant NSF DMS 90-01089 and by CNPq (Brazil)     

New characterizations of spheres, cylinders and W-curves

We study hypersurfaces (curves, resp.) of Euclidean space of arbitrary dimension such that the chord joining any two points on the hypersurface (curve, resp.) meets it at the same angle.     

An extension of Jellett's theorem

The aim of this work is to show that a star-shaped hypersurface of constant mean curvature into the Euclidean sphere Sn+1 must be a geodesic sphere. This result extends the one obtained by Jellett in 1853 for such type of surfaces in the Euclidean space R³. In order to do that we will compute a useful formula for the Laplacian of a new support function defined over a hypersurface M of a Riemannian manifold .     

Instability for harmonic foliations on compact homogeneous spaces

In this paper we discuss the instability of harmonic foliations on compact submanifolds immersed in Euclidean spaces and compact homogeneous spaces. We obtain a sufficient condition for a harmonic foliation to be unstable on compact submanifolds in a Euclidean space and on compact isotropy irreducible homogeneous spaces. We also classify compact symmetric spaces which have no non-trivial stable harmonic foliation.     

On conformal biharmonic immersions

This paper studies conformal biharmonic immersions. We first study the transformations of Jacobi operator and the bitension field under conformal change of metrics. We then obtain an invariant equation for a conformal biharmonic immersion of a surface into Euclidean 3-space. As applications, we construct a two-parameter family of non-minimal conformal biharmonic immersions of cylinder into and some examples of conformal biharmonic immersions of four-dimensional Euclidean space into sphere and hyperbolic space, thus providing many simple examples of proper biharmonic maps with rich geometric meanings. These suggest that there are abundant proper biharmonic maps in the family of conformal immersions. We also explore the relationship between biharmonicity and holomorphicity of conformal immersions of surfaces.      

Conformal geometry of surfaces in Lorentzian space forms

We study the conformal geometry of an oriented space-like surface in three-dimensional Lorentzian space forms. After introducing the conformal compactification of the Lorentzian space forms, we define the conformal Gauss map which is a conformally invariant two parameter family of oriented spheres. We use the area of the conformal Gauss map to define the Willmore functional and derive a Bernstein type theorem for parabolic Willmore surfaces. Finally, we study the stability of maximal surfaces for the Willmore functional.Dedicated to Professor T.J. WillmoreSupported by an FPPI Postdoctoral Grant from DGICYT Ministerio de Educación y Ciencia, Spain 1994 and by a DGICYT Grant No. PB94-0750-C02-02     

Constrained Willmore surfaces

Constrained Willmore surfaces are conformal immersions of Riemann surfaces that are critical points of the Willmore energy under compactly supported infinitesimal conformal variations. Examples include all constant mean curvature surfaces in space forms. In this paper we investigate more generally the critical points of arbitrary geometric functionals on the space of immersions under the constraint that the admissible variations infinitesimally preserve the conformal structure. Besides constrained Willmore surfaces we discuss in some detail examples of constrained minimal and volume critical surfaces, the critical points of the area and enclosed volume functional under the conformal constraint. C. Bohle, G. P. Peters and U. Pinkall are partially supported by DFG SPP 1154.     

Korn's inequality and Donati's theorem for the conformal Killing operator on pseudo-Euclidean space

We prove the Korn's inequality for the conformal Killing operator on pseudo-Euclidean space Rp,q, and an existence theorem for solutions to the non-homogeneous conformal Killing equation, which is a pseudo-Euclidean conformal generalization of Donati's theorem for Euclidean Killing operator.     

Conformally Kähler base metrics for Einstein warped products

A Riemannian metric g with Ricci curvature r is called nontrivial quasi-Einstein, in a sense given by Case, Shu and Wei, if it satisfies (−a/f)∇df+r=λg, for a smooth nonconstant function f and constants λ and a>0. If a is a positive integer, it was noted by Besse that such a metric appears as the base metric for certain warped Einstein metrics. This equation also appears in the study of smooth metric measure spaces. We provide a local classification and an explicit construction of Kähler metrics conformal to nontrivial quasi-Einstein metrics, subject to the following conditions: local Kähler irreducibility, the conformal factor giving rise to a Killing potential, and the quasi-Einstein function f being a function of the Killing potential. Additionally, the classification holds in real dimension at least six. The metric, along with the Killing potential, form an SKR pair, a notion defined by Derdzinski and Maschler. It implies that the manifold is biholomorphic to an open set in the total space of a CP¹ bundle whose base manifold admits a Kähler-Einstein metric. If the manifold is additionally compact, it is a total space of such a bundle or complex projective space. Additionally, a result of Case, Shu and Wei on the Kähler reducibility of nontrivial Kähler quasi-Einstein metrics is reproduced in dimension at least six in a more explicit form.     

On rigidity of generalized conformal structures

The classical Liouville Theorem on conformal transformations determines local conformal transformations on the Euclidean space of dimension \({\ge }3\) . Its natural adaptation to the general framework of Riemannian structures is the 2-rigidity of conformal transformations, that is such a transformation is fully determined by its 2-jet at any point. We prove here a similar rigidity for generalized conformal structures defined by giving a one parameter family of metrics (instead of scalar multiples of a given one) on each tangent space.     

The conformal Killing equation on forms—prolongations and applications

We construct a conformally invariant vector bundle connection such that its equation of parallel transport is a first order system that gives a prolongation of the conformal Killing equation on differential forms. Parallel sections of this connection are related bijectively to solutions of the conformal Killing equation. We construct other conformally invariant connections, also giving prolongations of the conformal Killing equation, that bijectively relate solutions of the conformal Killing equation on k-forms to a twisting of the conformal Killing equation on (k−?)-forms for various integers ?. These tools are used to develop a helicity raising and lowering construction in the general setting and on conformally Einstein manifolds.     

The denominators of Lagrangian surfaces in complex Euclidean plane

A quotient of two linearly independent quaternionic holomorphic sections of a quaternionic holomorphic line bundle over a Riemann surface is a conformal branched immersion from a Riemann surface to four-dimensional Euclidean space. On the assumption that a quaternionic holomorphic line bundle is associated with a Lagrangian-branched immersion from a Riemann surface to complex Euclidean plane, we shall classify the denominators of Lagrangian-branched immersion from a Riemann surface to complex Euclidean plane.      

Determining conformal transformations in from minimal correspondence data

In this paper, we derive a method to determine a conformal transformation in n‐dimensional Euclidean space in closed form given exact correspondences between data. We show that a minimal data set needed for correspondence is a localized vector frame and an additional point. In order to determine the conformal transformation, we use the representation of the conformal model of geometric algebra by extended Vahlen matrices— 2 ×2 matrices with entries from Euclidean geometric algebra (the Clifford algebra of ). This reduces the problem on the determination of a Euclidean orthogonal transformation from given vector correspondences, for which solutions are known. We give a closed form solution for the general case of conformal (in contrast, anti‐conformal) transformations, which preserve (in contrast, reverse) angles locally, as well as for the important special case when it is known that the conformal transformation is a rigid body motion—also known as a Euclidean transformation—which additionally preserves Euclidean distances. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Submanifolds with totally umbilical Gauss image

The submanifolds whose Gauss images are totally umbilical submanifolds of the Grassmann manifold are under consideration. The main result is the following classification theorem: if the Gauss image of a submanifold F in a Euclidean space is totally umbilical then either the Gauss image is totally geodesic, or F is the surface in E ⁴ of the special structure. Submanifolds in a Euclidean space with totally geodesic Gauss image were classified earlier.     

欧氏空间中具有共形Gauss映照的曲面

本文考虑欧氏空间中具有共形Ｇａｕｓｓ映照的曲面．从Ｇａｕｓｓ映照的观点给出了 ｖｅｒｏｎｅｓｅ曲面的一个新特征．     

Rigidity in the class of orientable compact surfaces of minimal total absolute curvature

Consider an orientable compact surface in three-dimensional Euclidean space with minimum total absolute curvature. If the Gaussian curvature changes sign to finite order and satisfies a nondegeneracy condition along closed asymptotic curves, we show that any other isometric surface differs by at most a Euclidean motion.     

Four-manifold systoles and surjectivity of period map

P. Buser and P. Sarnak showed in 1994 that the maximum, over the moduli space of Riemann surfaces of genus $s$, of the least conformal length of a nonseparating loop, is logarithmic in $s$. We present an application of (polynomially) dense Euclidean packings, to estimates for an analogous 2-dimensional conformal systolic invariant of a 4-manifold $X$ with indefinite intersection form. The estimate turns out to be polynomial, rather than logarithmic, in $\chi(X)$, if the conjectured surjectivity of the period map is correct. Such surjectivity is targeted by the current work in gauge theory. The surjectivity allows one to insert suitable lattices with metric properties prescribed in advance, into the second de Rham cohomology group of $X$, as its integer lattice. The idea is to adapt the well-known Lorentzian construction of the Leech lattice, by replacing the Leech lattice by the Conway-Thompson unimodular lattices which define asymptotically dense packings. The final step can be described, in terms of the successive minima $\lambda_i$ of a lattice, as deforming a $\lambda_2$-bound into a $\lambda_1$-bound, illustrated by Figure 1.