Graphical mean curvature flow with bounded bi-Ricci curvature (Q2093428)

Let \(M\) be a compact Riemannian manifold of dimension \(d \ge 2\) and \(N\) be a complete Riemannian surface of bounded geometry, i.e., the curvature of \(N\) and its derivatives at all orders are uniformly bounded, and the injectivity radius of \(N\) is positive. Also, let \(f_0: M \to N\) be a strictly area-decreasing smooth map and \(\Gamma_{f_0}\) be the graph of \(f_0\). Consider now the deformation under the mean curvature flow of \(\Gamma_{f_0}\). Under certain conditions involving the bi-Ricci curvature of \(M\) and the sectional curvature of \(N\), the authors prove: (1) the long-time existence of the flow; (2) that the strictly area-decreasing property of the evolving maps \(f_t: M \to N\) is preserved; (3) that \(\{f_t\}_{t \in [0,\infty)}\) is uniformly bounded in \(C^1(M,N)\) (or in a better topology). They also classify the limits of the flow, and provide several remarks concerning the curvature conditions. The proof of the main theorems depends on estimates for the mean curvature of the evolving submanifolds and a Bernstein-type theorem for minimal graphs.