The second variation for null-torsion holomorphic curves in the 6-sphere (Q2082305)

In the round \(6\)-sphere, null-torsion holomorphic curves are fundamental examples of minimal surfaces. This class of minimal surfaces is quite rich. By a theorem of \textit{R. L. Bryant} [J. Differ. Geom. 17, 185--232 (1982; Zbl 0526.53055)], extended by \textit{T. Rowland} [Smooth Holomorphic Curves in \(S^6\); PhD thesis, The University of Chicago, (1999)], every closed Riemann surface may be conformally embedded in the round \(6\)-sphere as a null-torsion holomorphic curve. In this paper, the author studies the second variation of area for compact null-torsion holomorphic curves of genus \(g\) and area \(4\pi d\), focusing on the spectrum of the Jacobi operator. He shows that if \(g\leq 6\), then the multiplicity of the lowest eigenvalue \(\lambda_1=-2\) is equal to \(4d\). Moreover, for any genus, he shows that the nullity is at least \(2d+2-2g\). These results are likely to have implications for the deformation theory of asymptotically conical associative \(3\)-folds in \(\mathbb R^7\), as studied by \textit{J. D. Lotay} [Trans. Am. Math. Soc. 363, No. 5, 2305--2339 (2011; Zbl 1225.53014)].