Mean curvature flow and isoperimetric inequalities. Edited by Vicente Miquel and Joan Porti (Q1031097)

The book under review contains expanded revisions of the lectures delivered by the authors in the framework of the ``Advanced Course on Geometric Flows and Hyperbolic Geometry'', Bellaterra (Barcelona), March 2008. The first part, ``Formation of Singularities in the Mean Curvature Flow'' was written by the second author. Mean curvature flow occurs in the description of the interface evolution in certain physical models. It may be regarded as a kind of heat equation for an immersion \(F_0:{\mathcal M}\to {\mathbb R}^{n+1}\) of an \(n\)-dimensional hypersurface in a Euclidean space, \(n\geq 1\). It can be shown that it is a parabolic problem uniquely solvable for small times. First, basic notions on the geometry of hypersurfaces are recalled. There are very few examples where the solution to the mean curvature flow can be explicitely computed. The author describes the evolution of a sphere and the translating graphs. The local existence and uniqueness of the solution under a suitable assumption on the initial data is stated. Different proofs are commented. As a consequence, an avoidance principle for the mean curvature flow is proved. An interesting example (the standard neckpinch) is given. In section 5, invariant properties are investigated. Next the singular behavior of convex surfaces is studied and convexity estimates are established. One proves that suitable rescalings of the flow converge to a smooth non-trivial limit, which describes the asymptotic profile of the surface near a singularity. As an example, we mention the degenerate neckpinch. The proof of the Huisken's monotonicity formula is recalled [see \textit{G. Huisken}, J. Differ. Geom. 31, No.~1, 285--299 (1990; Zbl 0694.53005)]. In the last section, by using the defintion of \textit{G. Huisken} and the present author [Invent. Math. 175, No.~1, 137--221 (2009; Zbl 1170.53042)], the mean curvature flow with surgeries for two-convex hypersurfaces is described. The second part, ``Geometric Flows, Isoperimetric Inequalities and Hyperbolic Geometry'', was written by the first author. First, two proofs of the classical isoperimetric inequality in Euclidean space of any dimension are given. Next, using Grayson's result on the convergence of the curve shortening flow on Riemannian surfaces, the author proves 2-dimensional isoperimetric inequalities. Recent developments are discussed. Few known results on applications of the mean curvature flow are reviewed in order to obtain isoperimetric inequalities in higher dimensions. In particular, one focusses on a result of Schulze on weak \(H^k\) flows, which allows to obtain lower bounds for the Willmore functional. Some application to hyperbolic geometry are given in the last section. A result of Bachman, Cooper and White on the bound of the injectivity radius of a compact, connected, orientable 3-manifold in terms of the Hoegaard genus of the manifold is presented. Also the author reviews the result of Adams and Morgan on the isoperimetric profile for small volumes of an \((n+1)\)-dimensional cusped hyperbolic manifold. A list of topics which are not covered by these notes is mentioned.