On surfaces of finite Chen-type (Q1412984)

The authors consider the second Beltrami operators \(\Delta^{\text{II}}\) and \(\Delta^{\text{III}}\) corresponding to the second and third fundamental form, respectively, of a surface \(M\) -- which does not contain parabolic points -- in Euclidean 3-space \(E^3\). In terms of (and generalizing) B.-Y. Chen's theory a surface \(M\) is said to be of finite \(J\)-type if its coordinate functions are a finite sum of eigenfunctions of its Beltrami operator \(\Delta^J\) \((J=\text{I,\,II,\,III})\). In \S1, basic formulas for \(\Delta^J x\) and \(\Delta^Jn\) (\(x\): position vector, \(n\): Gauss map of \(M\)) are established. In \S\S2--4, several examples of surfaces of finite Chen-type II and III are found, among them the sphere and minimal surfaces. For example: A surface \(M\subset E^3\) is part of a sphere if and only if (a) \(M\) is of II-type 1 (Theorem 2.1), or (b) the Gauss map of \(M\) is of II-type 1 (Theorem 2.2), or (c) \(M\) is of III-type I (Theorem 3.3); \(M\subset E^3\) is of null III-type 1 if and only if \(M\) is minimal (Theorem 3.1); every parallel surface \(M^*\) of a surface \(M\) of finite III-type \(k\) is of III\(^*\)-type \(k\) or \(k+1\) (Theorem 4.1). Here, the statement ``\(M\) is of \(J\)-type \(k\)'' means: there are exactly \(k\) non-constant eigenvectors of \(\Delta^J\) which all belong to different eigenvalues.