On the topological type of minimal submanifolds (Q1196978)

Let \(\Gamma\) be a smooth embedded hypersurface in \(S^ n\subset \mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) for some \(n\leq 6\). Then \(\Gamma\) is the boundary of at least one smooth embedded minimal submanifold of \(B^{n+1}\), namely the area minimizing submanifold. But except when \(n=2\), no theorems are known about the topological types of the minimal submanifolds bounded by \(\Gamma\). In this paper, the author uses elementary topological arguments to give partial answers to the above question. The main theorem is as follows. Let \(n \leq 6\). Let \(N\) be a smooth \((n+1)\)-dimensional compact Riemannian manifold with strictly mean convex boundary. Let \(U\) be a simply connected open subset of \(\partial N\) such that \(\Gamma = \partial U\) is smooth. Then there is a smooth stable \(n\)-dimensional minimal surface \(S\subset N\) such that (1) \(S\) is homologous to \(U\), (2) the region \(W\) between \(S\) and \(U\) is simply connected, (3) if \(\Sigma\subset N\) is a smooth minimal \(n\)-surface with boundary \(\Gamma\), then \(\Sigma\) does not intersect \(W\).