Complete surfaces with positive extrinsic curvature in product spaces (Q1012473)

Surfaces with positive extrinsic curvature in the Riemann product spaces \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\) and \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\) are discussed. It is shown that every complete connected immersed surface with positive extrinsic curvature in \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\) must be properly embedded, homeomorphic to a sphere or a plane (Hadamard-Stoker type theorem). The main result states that \textsl{the only complete surfaces of constant positive extrinsic curvature in \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\) and \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\) are rotational spheres}. This theorem is accompanied by a classification of rotational spheres in question: The generating curves are represented explicitly. It should be noted that a classification of complete surfaces with constant intrinsic curvature in \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\) and \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\) was obtained earlier, [see \textit{J. A. Aledo, J. M. Espinar} and \textit{J. A. Gálvez}, Calc. Var. Partial Differ. Equ. 29, No.~3, 347--363 (2007; Zbl 1119.53039), Bull. Braz. Math. Soc. (N.S.) 38, No.~4, 533--554 (2007; Zbl 1136.53046)]. Namely, there exists a unique complete surface of constant intrinsic curvature \(K_{\text{int}}>1\) in \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\), and a unique complete surface of constant intrinsic curvature \(K_{\text{int}}>0\) in \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\), these surfaces are rotational spheres (Liebman type theorem). Besides, there are no complete surfaces of constant intrinsic curvature \(K_{\text{int}}<-1\) in \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\) or \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\) (Hilbert type theorem). Similarly, there are no complete surfaces of constant intrinsic curvature \(0<K_{\text{int}}<1\) in \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\), whereas there exist complete surfaces of every constant intrinsic curvature \(-1\leq K_{\text{int}}\) in \(H^2\times \mathbb R^1\). The existence of complete surfaces with constant intrinsic curvature \(-1\leq K_{\text{int}}<0\) in \(S^2\times \mathbb R^1\) remains open.