Horo-tightness and total (absolute) curvatures in hyperbolic spaces (Q1955749)

The authors study an immersion \(f\) of a \(k\)-dimensional manifold \(M\) into the hyperbolic \(n\)-space \({\mathbb H}^n\). The key tool is to consider \(f(M)\) as an envelope of horospheres: In the hyperboloid model a horosphere \(\Theta \subset {\mathbb H}^n\) is the intersection of the hyperboloid with a hyperplane of the underlying Lorentz space \({\mathbb R}^{n+1}\) parallel to a tangent hyperplane of the Lorentzian light cone. A closed horoball is the bounded interior of a horosphere \(\Theta\). By means of Morse theory applied to height functions defined on pencils of horospheres lying in parallel hyperplanes the authors derive Gauß-Bonnet-type formulae and moreover the notion of horo-tightness of a smooth immersion \(f: M \to {\mathbb H}^n\) of a closed manifold: Such an immersion is called horo-tight if almost every height-function of the type described above has a certain number of critical points along the immersion. One main result is the following: If \(f: M \to {\mathbb H}^n\) is a smooth immersion of a closed manifold \(M\) of dimension \(k\) with \(k(k+3)<2n\) and additionally \(f^{-1}({\mathbb H}^n\setminus \mathrm{int} B_\Theta\)) is connected for each closed horoball \(B_\Theta\) then \(f(M)\) lies in a Euclidean sphere in a horosphere. The three-dimensional case (\(n=3\)) is discussed in particular. Finally the authors compare their notion of horo-tightness with the various definitions of tightness appearing in the literature [\textit{T. E. Cecil} and \textit{P. J. Ryan}, J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 19, 561--572 (1979; Zbl 0396.53029); Tight and taut immersions of manifolds. Boston etc.: Pitman Advanced Publishing Program (1985; Zbl 0596.53002); \textit{M. Buosi} et al., Geom. Dedicata 154, 9--26 (2011; Zbl 1235.53012); \textit{G. Solanes}, J. Lond. Math. Soc., II. Ser. 75, No. 2, 420--430 (2007; Zbl 1127.53053)].