The third fundamental form of minimal surfaces in a sphere (Q1973464)

The author studies the question, to which extent minimal surfaces in the sphere \(\mathbb{S}^n\) are determined by restrictions on the numerical range of the Gaussian curvature of the third fundamental form of the surface, the third fundamental form \(III\) of a minimal surface \(M\) immersed in a space of constant curvature \(c\) being defined as \(III=(c-K)ds^2\) where \(ds^2\) is the induced metric on \(M\) and \(K\) its Gaussian curvature. It should be observed that the Gauss curvature \(K_{III}\) of \(III\) is defined only at points where \(K<c\). The main results of the author are as follows. Let \(M\) be a compact oriented mimimal surface in \(\mathbb{S}^n\) with \(K=1\) at most at isolated points. Then (i) If \(K_{III}\geq 1/2\) then \(K_{III}=1/2\) and \(M\) is the Veronese surface in \(\mathbb{S}^4\). (ii) If \(1/5\leq K_{III}\leq 1/2\) then either \(K_{III} =1/2\) and \(M\) is the Veronese surface in \(\mathbb{S}^4\) or \(K_{III}=1/5\) and \(M\) is the Veronese surface in \(\mathbb{S}^6\). (iii) If \(M\) lies in \(\mathbb{S}^4\) and \(0\leq K_{III}\leq 1/2\), then either \(K_{III}=0\) and \(M\) is the Clifford torus in \(\mathbb{S}^3\) or \(K_{III}=1/2\) and \(M\) is the Veronese surface in \(\mathbb{S}^4\). Moreover, if \(K_{III}\) is constant and \(\geq 1/9\) then \(K\equiv 1/3\), \(K\equiv 1/6\) or \(K\equiv 1/10\) and \(M\) is the Veronese surface in \(\mathbb{S}^4\), \(\mathbb{S}^6\) or \(\mathbb{S}^8\), respectively. The proofs use the relation between the Gaussian curvatures of two conformally related metrics to show that, in the various cases, \(M\) must be of constant Gauss curvature \(K\), thus reducing thec problem to the complete classification of such minimal surfaces by \textit{R. Bryant} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 290, 259-271 (1985; Zbl 0572.53002)].