Stable minimal surfaces in \(M\times \mathbb R\) (Q2566625)

In their recent paper [Comment. Math. Helv. 80, 811--858 (2005; Zbl 1085.53049)] the authors developed the theory of properly embedded minimal surfaces in a Riemannian 3-manifold of the form \(M\times \mathbb R\), where \(M\) is a closed orientable Riemannian surface. One of the results in the aforementioned paper is that a properly embedded non-compact minimal surface \(\Sigma \) in \(M\times \mathbb R\) of bounded curvature is quasiperiodic. This is obtained by using the curvature estimates of \textit{R. Schoen} [Ann. Math. Stud. 103, 111--126 (1983; Zbl 0532.53042)]. The quasiperiodicity property is essential for the proof of the main result of the paper under review, which is referred to as stability theorem. In the stability theorem the authors classify all properly embedded orientable stable minimal surfaces into four categories: compact surfaces of the form \(M\times \{t\}\) for some \( t\in \mathbb R\), surfaces of the form \(\gamma \times \mathbb R\), where \(\gamma \) is a simple closed stable geodesic in \(M\), minimal graphs over domains in \(M\times \{0\}\), or the periodic multigraphs which are described in Theorem 2.1 of the paper.