A flow method for curvature equations

DOI10.1016/J.NA.2025.113873MaRDI QIDQ6921290zbMATH OpenFDO

Publication date 6 October 2025

Published in Nonlinear Analysis. Theory, Methods \& Applications. Series A: Theory and Methods (Search for Journal in Brave)

Full work available at URL https://doi.org/10.1016/J.NA.2025.113873

zbMATH Keywords

anisotropic flow Christoffel-Minkowski problem prescribed curvature problem

Mathematics Subject Classification ID

Nonlinear elliptic equations (35J60) Nonlinear parabolic equations (35K55) Rigidity results (53C24) Global surface theory (convex surfaces à la A. D. Aleksandrov) (53C45) Geometric evolution equations (53E99)

Review text

The authors study the general fully nonlinear curvature equation\N\[\NF(\kappa(X)) = G(X,\nu(X)),\N\]\Nfor a hypersurface \(M\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\), where \(F=F(\kappa_1,\dots,\kappa_n)\) is a symmetric, 1-homogeneous, concave curvature function satisfying a suitable natural structural conditions, and \(G\) is a prescribed function depending on both the position vector and outer unit normal. This class of equations simultaneously includes the prescribed curvature measures problem and the general area measures problem.\N\NIt is known from \textit{P. Guan} et al. [Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 68, No. 8, 1287--1325 (2015; Zbl 1327.53009)] that the \(C^{2}\) a~priori estimate generally fails for broad classes of curvature functions \(F\), even under convexity assumptions. Consequently, classical elliptic methods are insufficient for obtaining existence results in the general setting. The aim of the present work is to recover existence by imposing additional structural conditions on \(G\) and by running a carefully designed geometric parabolic flow.\N\NAfter reviewing the existing counterexamples and the geometric background (Christoffel-Minkowski and \(L^{p}\)-type problems), the authors introduce a family of admissible functions \(G=\phi(X,\nu)\,\varphi(\langle X,\nu\rangle)\) satisfying refined monotonicity or decay assumptions, extending the classical conditions of Caffarelli-Nirenberg-Spruck. Under these hypotheses they establish new \(C^{1}\) estimates for star-shaped hypersurfaces, a key step in controlling the evolution flow.\N\NThe main result guarantees long-time existence and convergence of a parabolic flow toward a stationary solution of the curvature equation, provided \(G\) satisfies one of the alternative structural conditions and certain additional derivative inequalities. This yields existence theorems for a broad class of general curvature equations previously out of reach via elliptic techniques.\N\NA noteworthy application is the extension of the result of \textit{P. Guan} et al. [Duke Math. J. 161, No. 10, 1927--1942 (2012; Zbl 1254.53073)] concerning equations of the form \(F=\sigma_{k}^{1/k}\). While the earlier work handled the special choice\N\[\NG = \psi\!\left(\frac{X}{|X|}\right)\, \langle X,\nu\rangle^{1/k}\, |X|^{-(n+1)/k},\N\]\Nthe present paper generalizes this to\N\[\NG = \psi\!\left(\frac{X}{|X|}\right)\, \langle X,\nu\rangle^{\frac{1-p}{k}}\, |X|^{\frac{q-k-1}{k}} \qquad(p>q),\N\]\Nfor arbitrary \(k\), through a new choice of auxiliary function adapted to the flow method. The authors also discuss uniqueness within several subclasses of the equation.\N\NOverall, the paper provides significant progress on curvature equations beyond the reach of standard elliptic regularity, widening the scope of geometric problems that can be treated via flow methods under natural star-shapedness assumptions.

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