Laplace inequalities with geometric applications (Q1924947)

Let \(M\) be an \(m\)-dimensional complete Riemannian manifold with Ricci curvature \(r^M\) and \(\lambda\) some positive constant. The main result of the article is: If the volume of \(M\) has polynomial growth or if there exists some constant \(\delta\in\mathbb{R}_+\) such that \(r^M\geq -(m-1)\delta>{4\lambda\over m-1}\), then there exists a constant \(R\in\mathbb{R}_+\) such that on every open subset \(U\subset M\) containing a ball of radius \(R\) the inequality \(\Delta u\leq-\lambda u\) has no nontrivial, nonnegative solution \(u\). In the proof the first eigenvalue of \(\Delta|_U\) with Dirichlet condition plays a crucial role. By this result deficiencies in the articles of \textit{H. Alencar} and \textit{M. P. do Carmo} [Arch. Math. 60, No. 5, 489-493 (1993; Zbl 0787.53055)] and of \textit{L. Coghlan}, \textit{Y. Itokawa} and \textit{R. Kosecki} [J. Geom. Anal. 2, No. 3, 195-211 (1992; Zbl 0776.58039)] are eliminated. As an application, the author shows that the image of an isometric immersion \(f: M\to N\) for which the length of the mean curvature vector is bounded in a suitable way cannot lie entirely in a ball \(B\subset N\) on which the sectional curvature is smaller than some \(\kappa\).