Parallel calibrations and minimal submanifolds (Q384310): Difference between revisions

On a Riemannian manifold \(M\) with a closed calibration \(\varphi\) of rank \(p\), at each \(x\in M\) is defined the set \(C(\varphi)_x\) of critical points of \(\varphi_x\), considering \(\varphi_x\) acting on the set of unit decomposable \(p\)-vectors of \(T_xM\). An oriented \(p\)-dimensional submanifold \(N\) is \(\varphi\)-critical if, for each \(x \in N\), given \(e_i\) an oriented orthonormal basis of \(T_xN\) \((e_1\wedge \ldots \wedge e_p)\in C(\varphi)_x\). In particular, calibrated submanifolds are \(\varphi\)-critical. The condition for a \(p\)-plane \(\xi\) to be a critical point of \(\varphi_x\) is equivalent to the condition that \(v\lrcorner\varphi_x\) is a vanishing \((p-1)\)-form on \(\xi\) for all \(v\bot \xi\). This allows the author to define critical \(p\)-planes as the intersection of the set of unit decomposable \(p\)-vectors with the annihilator space of a family of \(p\)-forms on \(T_xM\), spanning a vector subspace \(\Phi_x\), and if \(\varphi\) is parallel a vector sub-bundle \(\Phi_M\) of \(p\)-forms over \(M\) is defined. If \(M\) is a \(H\)-manifold, with a Lie subgroup \(H\) of the orthogonal group, then a parallel \(\varphi\) is uniquely defined from a \(H\)-invariant \(p\)-form on \(T_{x_0}M\), for a fixed \(x_0\). Assuming \(\varphi\) is parallel a short computation shows that if \(N\) is \(\varphi\)-critical, then \(\varphi_{|N}=\varphi_0\mathrm{Vol}_N\) where \(\varphi_0\) is a constant, and if not zero, then \(N\) is minimal. Finally it is shown that if \(\mathcal{P}\) is the space of smooth sections of \(\Phi_M\), then the ideal generated by \(\mathcal{P}\) is differentially closed but usually not involutive, never if \(2p>n\), and \(N\) is \(\varphi\)-critical if and only if \(N\) is an integral submanifold of \(\mathcal{P}\), i.e. the elements of \(\mathcal{P}\) vanish along \(N\). Many examples are given describing \(\Phi\) for well-known calibrations.