Hypersurfaces with generalized 1-type Gauss maps (Q1634385)

Motivated by work by \textit{B.-Y. Chen} [Soochow J. Math. 9, 17--33 (1983; Zbl 0532.53005)], the authors study a special class of hypersurfaces referred to as having generalized \(1\)-type Gauss map. More precisely, a hypersurface \(M\) of Euclidean space \(\mathbb{E}^{n+1}\) is said to have a generalized \(1\)-type Gauss map if \(G\) satisfies \[ \Delta G = f G + g C \] for some smooth functions \(f,g\) on \(M\) and some constant vector \(C\) in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\), where the Laplacian is with respect to the induced metric on \(M\). This condition generalizes the condition of having a pointwise \(1\)-type Gauss map, introduced by the first and third authors [J. Geom. Phys. 34, No. 3--4, 191--205 (2000; Zbl 0962.53034)] which corresponds to the case \(f = g\). Moreover, the condition of having pointwise \(1\)-type Gauss map itself generalizes the condition of having a \(1\)-type Gauss map, which corresponds to \(f = g = \lambda\), where \(\lambda\) is a constant. The authors obtain the classification of developable (i.e., flat) surfaces in \(\mathbb{E}^3\) having a generalized \(1\)-type Gauss map (Theorem 4). While the authors' main focus is on developable surfaces in \(\mathbb{E}^3\), they also prove that a cylindrical hypersurface \(M\) in \(\mathbb{E}^{n+1}\) has generalized \(1\)-type Gauss map (Theorem 5).