Uniqueness and nonexistence theorems for hypersurfaces with \(H_r=0\) (Q1125222)

In a previous paper [J. Differ. Geom. 41, 247-258 (1995; Zbl 0821.53007)], the authors have established a condition for the ellipticity of the hypersurfaces with \(H_r=0\), and have proved a tangency principle for such hypersurfaces; here, \(H_r\) is the normalized \(r\)th elementary symmetric function of the principal curvatures of the hypersurface. In the present paper, they apply the tangency principle to obtain nonexistence and uniqueness theorems for compact hypersurfaces with \(H_r=0\) with boundary \(D_1\cup D_2\) placed in parallel hyperplanes \(\pi_1\) and \(\pi_2\). The idea is to compare the hypersurface with the family of rotational hypersurfaces with \(H_r=0\) having the boundary \(\partial B_1\cup\partial B_2\), where \(B_1\) and \(B_2\) are coaxial \(n\)-balls such that \(D_i\subset B_i\subset\pi_i\), \(i=1,2\). The paper contains a nice description of rotation hypersurfaces with \(H_r=0\).