Aug 2026· 2 citations· ⚡ 1 influential· 29 references
Mathematics
Abstract
Let $F:M^n\to\Sn^{n+q}(1)$ be a closed connected minimal immersion in the unit sphere with second fundamental form $h$, $n\ge3$, $q\ge2$, and $S=|h|^2$. We prove that if $M$ is not totally geodesic, then \[ \max_M S\ge \frac{2n}{3}+\frac{n-2}{6300(39n+8)} \ge\frac{2n}{3}+\frac1{787500}. \]
A well-known conjecture of Chern, do Carmo, and Kobayashi asserts that, for $n,m \geq 1$, the scalar curvature of a closed, minimally immersed $n$-submanifold of $\mathbb{S}^{n+m}$ with second fundamental form of constant length takes values in a discrete set. This property holds in every codimension when $n \in \{1,2\}$. We disprove this conjecture for all $n \geq 3$ with $m \geq 4$, and for even $n \geq 4$ with $m \geq 3$.
Let $f:M^n\looparrowright\Sph^{n+q}(1)$, $n\ge2$ and $q\ge1$, be a closed, connected, non-totally-geodesic minimal immersion with second fundamental form $h$, and put $S=|h|^2$ and $S_*=\max_M S$. If $p\in f(M)$ has multiplicity $m$ and $f^{-1}(p)=\{x_1,\ldots,x_m\}$, then \[ \Vol(M)\ge \left[m+\varepsilon_n\sum_{j=1}^m \left(\frac{S(x_j)}{S_*}\right)^2\right]\Vol(\Sph^n), \] where $[110n(n+2)^2]^{-1}<\varepsilon_n<[104n(n+2)^2]^{-1}$. If the immersion is linearly full, then \[ \frac{\Vol(M)}{\Vol(\Sph^n)} \ge \max\!\left\{1+\varepsilon_n, \frac{4(n+1)^n}{(n+3)^{n+2}}(n+q+1)\right\}. \] Moreover, for every hyperplane $H$ through the origin, each connected component of $M\setminus f^{-1}(H)$ has volume at least $4(n+1)^n(n+3)^{-n-2}\Vol(\Sph^n)$; consequently the number of components is at most $\frac{(n+3)^{n+2}}{4(n+1)^n}\frac{\Vol(M)}{\Vol(\Sph^n)}$.
For $m=2,3$, we prove that every smooth immersion $F:\mathbb{R}\mathbb{P}^m\looparrowright\overline{\mathbb B}^{,N}(1)$ satisfies $\kappa(F)^2\ge 2m/(m+1)$, with equality only for the Veronese embedding, up to congruence. We also prove that a closed, connected, orientable three-manifold admitting an immersion into a Euclidean unit ball with $\kappa(F)\le\sqrt{3/2}$ is diffeomorphic to $S^3$, $\mathbb{R}\mathbb{P}^3$, or $S^2\times S^1$. All three possibilities occur, while $\kappa(F)<\sqrt{3/2}$ forces $X\cong S^3$. These results answer a question of Petrunin and prove a conjecture of Chodosh--Li concerning the normal curvature of three-manifolds. The key intrinsic input is the strict scalar--systolic inequality \[ (\min_Y R_g)\text{sys}(g)^2<6\pi^2 \] for every spherical three-space form $Y$ with $|\pi_1(Y)|>2$. Its proof uses systolic monotonicity along Ricci flow with surgery. This strict inequality complements the sharp scalar--systolic inequality for $\mathbb{R}\mathbb{P}^3$ of Bray--Brendle--Eichmair--Neves.
We show that in any Haken 3-manifold $M$, the dimensions of $\mathcal{ML}(M)$ and $\mathcal{ML}_0(M)$ can be calculated using normal surfaces. As a corollary, we prove the number of closed orientable essential surfaces of Euler characteristic at least $-2n$ in a closed orientable hyperbolic 3-manifold with $H_2(M,\mathbb{Z}/2\mathbb{Z}) = 0$ is asymptotic to $n^{\dim \mathcal{ML}_0(M)}$.
We prove that if the $n$-dimensional torus $T^n$ is smoothly immersed in the unit ball $B^q\subset\mathbb R^q$ and $n\leq 18$, then there exists a point at which the spherical average of $\lvert II(u,u)\rvert^2$ is at least $3n/(n+2)$. This answers a question of Petrunin in these dimensions. The proof combines the scalar-curvature obstruction for the torus with a conformal-Laplacian argument.
Let $(M^n,g)$ be a connected, closed, smooth Riemannian manifold with dimension $n\geq 3$. There exists a positive constant $\varepsilon_n<1$ such that, if Ricci curvature $\operatorname{Ric}_g\geq \varepsilon_n(n-1)g$ and the scalar curvature $R_g\geq n(n-1)$, then the volume $V_g(M^n)$ is less than or equal to the volume of standard $n$-sphere. This confirms a conjecture by Bray in 1997.
