An intrinsic rigidity theorem for closed minimal hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{S}^5\) with constant nonnegative scalar curvature (Q1624203)

The hypersurface case of the Chern conjecture says that any closed minimal hypersurface in the sphere \(\mathbb{S}^{n+1}\) with constant scalar curvature must be an isoparametric hypersurface. Here a hypersurface is said to be isoparametric if it has constant principal curvatures. The Chern conjecture is trivial when \(n=2\), and was confirmed by \textit{S. Chang} [Commun. Anal. Geom. 1, No. 1, 71--100 (1993; Zbl 0791.53058); J. Differ. Geom. 37, No. 3, 523--534 (1993; Zbl 0838.53046)] when \(n=3\). The higher-dimensional case of the Chern conjecture is still open. The aim of this paper is to give a partial answer to this question when \(n=4\). The main result is the following: Let \(M^4\) be a closed minimal hypersurface in \(\mathbb{S}^5\) with constant nonnegative scalar curvature. If the sum (denoted by \(f_3\)) of the cubes of all principal curvatures and the number (denoted by \(g\)) of distinct principal curvatures are both constant, then \(M^4\) must be an isoparametric hypersurface. This result generalizes the earlier result by \textit{T. Lusala} et al. [Asian J. Math. 9, No. 1, 65--78 (2005; Zbl 1079.53081)], where they proved that any closed minimal hypersurface \(\mathbb{S}^5\) with constant nonnegative scalar curvature and vanishing \(f_3\) must be isoparametric. Moreover, combining the main result of this paper with the theory of isoparametric hypersurfaces in spheres, the authors obtain the following classification result: Any closed minimal hypersurface in \(\mathbb{S}^5\) with constant nonnegative scalar curvature, and constant \(f_3\) and \(g\) must be either an equator, or a Clifford hypersurface or a Cartan minimal hypersurface. The values of the squared length of the second fundamental form must be 0, 4 or 12.