The space of minimal embeddings of a surface into a three-dimensional manifold of positive Ricci curvature (Q1065409)

Let N be a compact 3-dimensional Riemannian manifold with positive Ricci curvature. It is proved that there is a constant C depending only on N and an integer \(\chi\) such that if M is a compact embedded minimal surface in N with Euler characteristic \(\chi\), then max \(\| A\| \leq C\), where \(\| A\|\) is the length of the second fundamental form. The proof is based on the following compactness theorem: The space of compact embedded minimal surfaces of fixed topological type in N is compact in the \(C^ k\) topology for any \(k\geq 2\). Furthermore, if N is real analytic, then this space is a compact finite-dimensional real analytic variety.