On Ilmanen's multiplicity-one conjecture for mean curvature flow with type-\(I\) mean curvature (Q2119363)

The mean curvature flow is a family of hypersurfaces \(\mathbf{x}(\cdot,t):\Sigma^n\to \mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) satisfying \[ \frac{\partial \mathbf{x}}{\partial t}=-H\mathbf{n},\tag{1} \] where \(H, \mathbf{n}\) are the mean curvature and unit normal of the evolving hypersurface \(\Sigma_t=\mathbf{x}(\Sigma,t)\). It is known that singularities will occur along the mean curvature flow. To study the behavior of the singularities one can study the tangent flow at the singular time. This is defined as follows: when the flow reaches a singularity at \((x_0,T)\) for \(T<\infty\), for any sequence \(c_j\to \infty\), we consider the rescaled flow \[ \Sigma_t^j=c_j\left(\Sigma_{T+c_j^{-2}t}-x_0\right),\qquad t\in [-Tc_j^{-2},0). \] The tangent flow at \((x_0,T)\) is the subsequential weak limit of the rescaled flow as \(c_j\to\infty\). It is conjectured by \textit{T. Ilmanen} [``Singularities of mean curvature flow of surfaces'', Preprint; ``Lectures on mean curvature flow and related equations'', Preprint] that every tangent flow at the first singular time of a smooth closed embedded mean curvature flow in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) has multiplicity one. The main result of this paper is to confirm this conjecture under the extra assumption that the mean curvature is of Type-I at the first singular time. This result is closely related to the extension problem of mean curvature flow. A classical result of \textit{G. Huisken} [J. Differ. Geom. 20, 237--266 (1984; Zbl 0556.53001); J. Differ. Geom. 31, No. 1, 285--299 (1990; Zbl 0694.53005)] (see also [\textit{N. Q. Le} and \textit{N. Sesum}, Commun. Anal. Geom. 19, No. 4, 633--660 (2011; Zbl 1244.53078)]) says that the second fundamental form blows up at a finite singular time. It is conjectured that the mean curvature blows up at a finite singular time. This was previously confirmed by the authors of this paper in [Invent. Math. 218, No. 3, 721--777 (2019; Zbl 1462.53085)] for mean curvature flow in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) at the first singular time. As a corollary of the main result of this paper, it is proved that the mean curvature blows up at least Type-I at the first singular time of a smooth closed embedded mean curvature flow in \(\mathbb{R}^3\).