On the normal bundles of \(S^ 2\) minimally immersed into the unit spheres (Q1058154)

Let \(F: M\to \tilde M\) be a minimal isometric immersion between Riemannian manifolds where \(M\) is compact. Then the Jacobi differential operator \(\tilde J\) acting on normal vector fields along \(F\) is characterized by \(d^ 2 V(t)/dt^ 2|_{t=0}=\int_{M}\langle\tilde J(\xi),\xi \rangle \,dM,\) where \((F_ t)_{t\in I}\) is a variation of \(F\), \(\xi\) the normal component of the corresponding variation vector field, and \(V(t)\) the volume of \(M\) with respect to the Riemannian metric induced by \(F_ t\). In the paper under review full minimal isometric immersions from the 2-sphere of curvature \(2/n(n+1)\) into the unit \(2n\)-sphere are considered. It is proved that the normal bundle bears a holomorphic vector bundle structure making \(\tilde J\mathbb C\)-linear, and a certain property of the eigenspaces of \(\tilde J\). The results are based on previous studies of the author [see ibid. 18, 115--145 (1981; Zbl 0482.53046) and the papers described in the two preceding reviews Zbl 0564.53021 and Zbl 0564.53022].