English

Graphic Bernstein Results in Curved Pseudo-Riemannian Manifolds

Differential Geometry 2009-08-03 v5

Abstract

We generalize a Bernstein-type result due to Albujer and Al\'ias, for maximal surfaces in a curved Lorentzian product 3-manifold of the form Σ1×R\Sigma_1\times \mathbb{R}, to higher dimension and codimension. We consider MM a complete spacelike graphic submanifold with parallel mean curvature, defined by a map f:Σ1Σ2f: \Sigma_1\to \Sigma_2 between two Riemannian manifolds (Σ1m,g1)(\Sigma_1^m, g_1) and (Σ2n,g2)(\Sigma^n_2, g_2) of sectional curvatures K1K_1 and K2K_2, respectively. We take on Σ1×Σ2\Sigma_1\times \Sigma_2 the pseudo-Riemannian product metric g1g2g_1-g_2. Under the curvature conditions, Ricci10\mathrm{Ricci}_1 \geq 0 and K1K2K_1\geq K_2, we prove that, if the second fundamental form of MM satisfies an integrability condition, then MM is totally geodesic, and it is a slice if Ricci1(p)>0\mathrm{Ricci}_1(p)>0 at some point. For bounded K1K_1, K2K_2 and hyperbolic angle θ\theta, we conclude MM must be maximal. If MM is a maximal surface and K1K2+K_1\geq K_2^+, we show MM is totally geodesic with no need for further assumptions. Furthermore, MM is a slice if at some point pΣ1p\in \Sigma_1, K1(p)>0K_1(p)> 0, and if Σ1\Sigma_1 is flat and K2<0K_2<0 at some point f(p)f(p), then the image of ff lies on a geodesic of Σ2\Sigma_2.

Keywords

Cite

@article{arxiv.0801.3850,
  title  = {Graphic Bernstein Results in Curved Pseudo-Riemannian Manifolds},
  author = {Guanghan Li and Isabel M. C. Salavessa},
  journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:0801.3850},
  year   = {2009}
}

Comments

Accepted for publication in the Journal of Geometry and Physics. Final version: Some simplifications, improvements and reorganization. In version 3, we replace the condition $K_1\geq 0$ by the weaker condition $Ricci_1\geq 0$. The proofs are essentially the same