Some applications of a Simons' type formula for complete spacelike submanifolds in a semi-Riemannian space form (Q2384565)

In a pioneering work, \textit{J.~Simons} [Ann~ Math.~(2) 88, 62--105 (1968; Zbl 0181.49702)] proved a formula for the Laplacian of the squared norm of the second fundamental form of a minimal submanifold of the round sphere, with interesting consequences. This formula was generalized in [\textit{S. S. Chern, M. P. do Carmo} and \textit{S. Kobayashi}, Funct. Anal. Relat. Fields, Conf. Chicago 1968, 59--75 (1970; Zbl 0216.44001)] to other ambient spaces of constant sectional curvature. When the immersion is not minimal, formulas similar to Simons' one have been proven for the traceless second fundamental form. In the paper under review, the authors obtain Simons' type inequalities for the semi-Riemannian space forms \(Q_{p}^{n+p}(c)\) of index \(p\) and constant curvature \(c\) (Theorems~1.7 and 1.8), and characterize products of submanifolds (Theorem~1.9), and totally umbilical and totally geodesic submanifolds (Theorems~1.10 and 1.11), by using these inequalities.