Stability of complete noncompact surfaces with constant mean curvature (Q1092427)

Let \(Q^ 3(a)\) be a 3-dimensional simply-connected space form of constant sectional curvature a, and let \(x: M^ 2\to Q^ 3(a)\) be an immersion of a surface \(M^ 2\) into \(Q^ 3(a)\) with constant mean curvature H. The immersion x is stable [cf. \textit{J. L. Barbosa}, \textit{J. Eschenburg} and the reviewer, Math. Z. 197, 123-138 (1988)] if \[ I(f)=\int_{M}(| \nabla f|^ 2-2(2a+2H^ 2-K)f^ 2)dA\geq 0, \] for all \(f: M\to R\) with compact support satisfying \(\int_{M}f dA=0\). Here \(\nabla f\) is the gradient of f, dA is the area form and K is the Gaussian curvature in the induced metric. It is known (cf. the above reference) that if M is compact, x is stable if and only if x(M) is a geodesic sphere of \(Q^ 3(a)\). Here the author treats the case where M is complete, noncompact, and obtains the following result: i) Assume that \(a=0\). Then x is stable if and only if \(x(M)\subset R^ 3\) is a plane. ii) Assume that \(a=-1\). if \(H\geq 1\), x is stable if and only if x(M) is a horosphere. If \(H<1\), there exists at least a one-parameter family of stable nonumbilic embeddings. iii) Assume that \(a>0\). Then there are no stable complete noncompact surfaces with \(H=const.\) The proof depends on studying the index of the operator \(L=\Delta +2(2a+2H^ 2-K)\) on M, where \(\Delta\) is the Laplacian in the induced metric, and contains many results of independent interest.