Minimal surfaces in a sphere and the Ricci condition (Q1284574)

The Ricci condition: ``\(\sqrt{c-K}ds^2\) is flat at points where \(K<c\)'', characterizes the 2-dimensional Riemannian manifolds with Gaussian curvature \(K<c\) which are locally isometric to a minimal surface in a 3-dimensional simply connected space form \(Q^3_c\) of constant curvature \(c\) [see \textit{H. B. Lawson}, J. Anal. Math. 24, 151-161 (1971; Zbl 0251.53003)]. For the case \(c>0\) (the case of a sphere \(S^3)\) it is proved in the present paper that a minimal surface in \(S^m\) satisfies this condition if its curvature ellipse has constant and positive eccentricity \(\varepsilon>0\). The minimal surfaces in \(\mathbb{Q}^m_c\) with \(\varepsilon\)=const were studied by the reviewer [\textit{Ü. Lumiste}, Uch. Zap. Tartu. Gos. Univ. 102, 3-15, 16-28 (1961; Zbl 0132.42101)]: if \(m\leq 5\), \(c\leq 0\), or \(m=4\), \(c>0\), they are superminimal (i.e., \(\varepsilon=0)\); if \(m=5\), \(c>0\) there exist such surfaces in \(S^5\), which are flat (i.e., \(K=0)\) and have congruent curvature ellipses. The main theorem of this paper states that if a compact minimal surface \(M\) in \(S^m\) is locally isometric to a minimal surface in \(S^3\) then \(M\) is for the case \(m\leq 6\) either flat and lies in \(S^5\) or \(M\) lies in \(S^3\), but for the case \(m\leq 9\) and if \(M\) has the second order curvature ellipse with constant eccentricity, such an \(M\) is either flat or of a special form, conjectured by Lawson [loc. cit.].