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     

On the existence of closed timelike geodesics in compact spacetimes

In [19], Tipler has shown that a compact spacetime having a regular globally hyperbolic covering space with compact Cauchy surfaces necessarily contains a closed timelike geodesic. The restriction to compact spacetimes with just regular globally hyperbolic coverings (i.e., the Cauchy surfaces are not required to be compact) is still an open question. Here, we shall answer this question negatively by providing examples of compact flat Lorentz space forms without closed timelike geodesics, and shall give some criterion for the existence of such geodesics. More generally, we will show that in a compact spacetime having a regular globally hyperbolic covering, each free timelike homotopy class determined by a central deck transformation must contain a closed timelike geodesic. Whether or not a compact flat spacetime contains closed nonspacelike geodesics is, as far as we know, an open question. We shall answer this question affirmatively. We shall also introduce the notion of timelike injectivity radius for a spacetime relative to a free timelike homotopy class and shall show that it is finite whenever the corresponding deck transformation is central. Received: 9 November 1999; in final form: 19 September 2000 / Published online: 25 June 2001     

Neumann and second boundary value problems for Hessian and Gauß curvature flows

We consider the flow of a strictly convex hypersurface driven by the Gauß curvature. For the Neumann boundary value problem and for the second boundary value problem we show that such a flow exists for all times and converges eventually to a solution of the prescribed Gauß curvature equation. We also discuss oblique boundary value problems and flows for Hessian equations.     

Classification of generalized normal homogeneous Riemannian manifolds of positive Euler characteristic

The authors give a short survey of previous results on generalized normal homogeneous (δ-homogeneous, in other terms) Riemannian manifolds, forming a new proper subclass of geodesic orbit spaces with nonnegative sectional curvature, which properly includes the class of all normal homogeneous Riemannian manifolds. As a continuation and an application of these results, they prove that the family of all compact simply connected indecomposable generalized normal homogeneous Riemannian manifolds with positive Euler characteristic, which are not normal homogeneous, consists exactly of all generalized flag manifolds Sp(l)/U(1)⋅Sp(l−1)=CP2l−1, l?2, supplied with invariant Riemannian metrics of positive sectional curvature with the pinching constants (the ratio of the minimal sectional curvature to the maximal one) in the open interval (1/16,1/4). This implies very unusual geometric properties of the adjoint representation of Sp(l), l?2. Some unsolved questions are suggested.     

Globally minimal homogeneous subspaces in compact homogeneous sympletic spaces

It is a general problem to describe and classify the globally minimal surfaces in homogeneous spaces. The present paper studies and answers the following problem: When is a homogeneous subspace whose isometry group is one of the classical groups, a globally minimal submanifold in a regular orbit of the adjoint representation of a classical group?     

Generalized Weierstrass representation for surfaces in Heisenberg spaces

We establish a spinorial representation for surfaces immersed with prescribed mean curvature in Heisenberg space. This permits to obtain minimal immersions starting with a harmonic Gauss map whose target is either the Poincaré disc or a hemisphere of the round sphere.     

Hyperbolic ends with particles and grafting on singular surfaces

We prove that any 3-dimensional hyperbolic end with particles (cone singularities along infinite curves of angles less than π) admits a unique foliation by constant Gauss curvature surfaces. Using a form of duality between hyperbolic ends with particles and convex globally hyperbolic maximal (GHM) de Sitter spacetime with particles, it follows that any 3-dimensional convex GHM de Sitter spacetime with particles also admits a unique foliation by constant Gauss curvature surfaces. We prove that the grafting map from the product of Teichmüller space with the space of measured laminations to the space of complex projective structures is a homeomorphism for surfaces with cone singularities of angles less than π, as well as an analogue when grafting is replaced by “smooth grafting”.     

Classification of homogeneous almost cosymplectic three-manifolds

The purpose of this paper is to classify all simply connected homogeneous almost cosymplectic three-manifolds. We show that each such three-manifold is either a Lie group G equipped with a left invariant almost cosymplectic structure or a Riemannian product of type R×N, where N is a Kähler surface of constant curvature. Moreover, we find that the Reeb vector field of any homogeneous almost cosymplectic three-manifold, except one case, defines a harmonic map.     

A characterization of constant mean curvature surfaces in homogeneous 3-manifolds

It has been recently shown by Abresch and Rosenberg that a certain Hopf differential is holomorphic on every constant mean curvature surface in a Riemannian homogeneous 3-manifold with isometry group of dimension 4. In this paper we describe all the surfaces with holomorphic Hopf differential in the homogeneous 3-manifolds isometric to H²×R or having isometry group isomorphic either to the one of the universal cover of PSL(2,R), or to the one of a certain class of Berger spheres. It turns out that, except for the case of these Berger spheres, there exist some exceptional surfaces with holomorphic Hopf differential and non-constant mean curvature.     

Null congruence spacetimes constructed from 3-dimensional Robertson-Walker spaces

Null congruence spacetimes are constructed from three-dimensional time-orientable Lorentzian manifolds by taking a particular ellipse in the lightcone above every point. Starting from a three-dimensional Robertson-Walker space, new null congruence spacetimes are obtained and several of their curvature properties are deduced. In particular, it is shown that the static Einstein universe is locally isometric to a certain null congruence spacetime. Furthermore, a method is given to construct trapped surfaces which admit an isometric spacelike circle action in null congruence spacetimes.     

The Lagrangian Gauss image of a compact surface in Minkowski 3-Space

A generic compact surfaceQ in Minkowski 3-Space is naturally stratified by the loci where the orthogonal line bundle is tangent to the next lower stratum,SP D ⁰ Q M³. To each component inD ⁰ we associate a light-like hypersurface and in turn a Lagrangian loop in the cotangent bundle of the circle. We then establish an inequality relating the Euler characteristic of the indefinite component ofQ with the total Gauß-Maslov index of the associated Lagrangian loops.     

Adjoint transform of Willmore surfaces in

Using moving frame method, we study the Möbius geometry of a pair of conformally immersed surfaces in . Two new invariants θ and ρ associated with them arise naturally as well as the notion of touch and co-touch. As an application, adjoint transform is defined for any Willmore surface in . It always exists locally, hence generalizes known duality theorems of Willmore surfaces. Finally we characterize a pair of adjoint Willmore surfaces in terms of harmonic map.     

Lorentzian geometry of globally framed manifolds

A new class of globally framed manifolds (carrying a Lorentz metric) is introduced to establish a relation between the spacetime geometry and framed structures. We show that strongly causal (in particular, globally hyperbolic) spacetimes can carry a regular framed structure. As examples, we present a class of spacetimes of general relativity, having an electromagnetic field, endowed with a framed structure and a causal spacetime with a nonregular contact structure. This paper opens a few new problems, of geometric/physical significance, for further study.     

Higher Order Parallel Surfaces in Bianchi–Cartan–Vranceanu Spaces

We give a full classification of higher order parallel surfaces in three-dimensional homogeneous spaces with four-dimensional isometry group, i.e., in the so-called Bianchi–Cartan–Vranceanu family. This gives a positive answer to a conjecture formulated in [2]. As a partial result, we prove that totally umbilical surfaces only exist if the ambient Bianchi–Cartan–Vranceanu space is a Riemannian product of a surface of constant Gaussian curvature and the real line, and we give a local parametrization of all totally umbilical surfaces. Received: December 20, 2006. Revised: March 15, 2007.     

A sextic holomorphic form of affine surfaces with constant affine mean curvature

We extend an original idea of Calabi for affine maximal surfaces and define a sextic holomorphic differential form for affine surfaces with constant affine mean curvature. We get some rigidity results for affine complete surfaces by using this sextic holomorphic form. Received: 17 May 2003     

A non-local flow for Riemann surfaces

A non-local flow is defined for compact Riemann surfaces. Assuming the initial metric has positive Gauss curvature and is not conformal to the round sphere, the flow exists on some maximal time interval, and converges along a subsequence to a metric which admits a conformal Killing vector field. By a result of Tashiro (Trans Am Math Soc 117:251–275, 1965), the limiting metric must be conformal to the round sphere. Research supported in part by NSF Grant DMS-0500538.     

Degenerate homogeneous affine surfaces in ℝ3

We study degenerate homogeneous affine surfaces in ³. It is proved that such a surface is either an open part of a plane, a cylinder on an ellipse, parabola or hyperbola or of the surface given byxz – 1/2y ²=0.     

Comparison results for the volume of geodesic celestial spheres in Lorentzian manifolds

Volume comparison results are obtained for the volume of geodesic celestial spheres in Lorentzian manifolds and the corresponding objects in Lorentzian space forms. Also, as a rigidity result it is shown that the volume of geodesic celestial spheres is independent of the instantaneous observer if and only if the spacetime has constant curvature.