Isoparametric hypersurfaces in a space form and metric connections (Q1375767)

Let \(\widehat M\) be a real space form of constant sectional curvature, \(M\) a hypersurface of \(\widehat M\) and \(\nabla^M\) its Levi-Civita connection. It is obvious that \(M\) is isoparametric (i.e., it has only constant principal curvatures), if it is a homogeneous submanifold. The authors investigate a generalization by supposing only that on \(M\) there is given a homogeneous Riemannian structure \(T\) (this notion was introduced by \textit{F. Tricerri} and \textit{L. Vanhecke} [`Homogeneous structures on Riemannian manifolds' (London Math. Soc. Lecture Note Series 83, Cambridge Univ. Pr.) (1983; Zbl 0509.53043)], following \textit{W. Ambrose} and \textit{I. M. Singer} [Duke Math. J. 25, 647-669 (1958; Zbl 0134.17802)]). They prove: If the type number of \(M\) (=rank of the shape operator) is \(\neq 1,2\) everywhere, then the shape operator of \(M\) is parallel with respect to the metric connection \(\nabla^M-T\) and therefore \(M\) is an isoparametric hypersurface. If \(M\) is locally symmetric, then one can choose \(T\equiv 0\) and the number of distinct principal curvatures of \(M\) is 1 or 2.