Existence of barriers for surfaces with prescribed curvatures in \(\mathbb M^ 2{\times}\mathbb R\) (Q2434373)

The main tools of the paper are two comparison results obtained by direct computation. Let \((\mathbb{M}_i,g_i)\) (\(i=1,2\)) be 2-dimensional Riemannian manifolds, \(\Omega\subset\mathbb{R}^2\) an open subset and \(\phi_i:\Omega\to\mathbb{M}_i\) two parametrizations such that \(g_i=du^2+G^i(u,v)\,dv^2\) for \((u,v)\in\Omega\) (polar coordinates are of this type). Endow each \(\phi_i(\Omega)\times\mathbb{R}\) with the (generalized) warped product metric \(\langle\;,\;\rangle_i=f(u,t)\,g_i+dt^2\). Consider the graphs \(\psi_i(u,v)=(\phi_i(u,v),h(u))\) with height function \(h(u)\) only depending on \(u\), whose principal curvatures are denoted by \(k^i_1,k^i_2\), for \(\langle\;,\;\rangle_i\) and the normal pointing upwards. The first comparison result states that \(k^1_1=k^2_1\), and \(k^1_2\geq k^2_2\) if and only if \(\frac{G^1_u}{G^1}h'\geq\frac{G^2_u}{G^2}h'\). Here, \(\frac{G^i_u}{2G^i}\) is the geodesic curvature of the coordinates curves \(\beta_i(v)=\phi_i(u_0,v)\) for \(g_i\). The above result is complemented by a second comparison result that relates the geodesic curvature of the curves \(\beta_i(v)\) and the Gaussian curvature \(K_i\) of \((\mathbb{M}_i,g_i)\). Assume that \(\Omega=I\times J\) for intervals \(I,J\subset\mathbb{R}\). Suppose also that, either there exists \((u_0,v_0)\in\Omega\) such that \(\frac{G^1_u}{G^1}(u_0,v_0)\geq\frac{G^2_u}{G^2}(u_0,v_0)\) and \(K_1(u,v_0)\leq K_2(u,v_0)\) for all \(u\geq u_0\), or there exist points \(p_i\in\mathbb{M}_i\) such that \((u,v)\) are polar coordinates around \(p_i\) for \(g_i\), and there is some \(v_0\) so that \(K_1(u,v_0)\leq K_2(u,v_0)\) for all \(u\in I=(0,\rho_0)\). Then \(\frac{G^1_u}{G^1}(u,v_0)\geq\frac{G^2_u}{G^2}(u,v_0)\) for \(u\geq u_0\) in the first case, or for \(u\geq0\) in the second case. The following notation is used in the applications. Let \(\mathbb{M}(c)\) be the \(2\)-dimensional space form of constant curvature \(c\). Given \(H_0>0\), it is known that there is a unique (up to ambient isometries) topological sphere \(S\) of constant mean curvature \(H_0\) in \(\mathbb{M}(c)\times\mathbb{R}\), which is a bigraph over a geodesic disc of \(\mathbb{M}(c)\) of radius \(r_c(H_0)\). The diameter of \(S\) is denoted by \(\text{diam}_c(H_0)\). The main theorems of the paper are obtained as consequences of the above comparison results. The first one states the following. Let \(D_r\) be a closed geodesic disc of radius \(r\) in a Riemannian surface \(\mathbb{M}\), and let \(c=\min_{D_r}K\), where \(K\) is the Gaussian curvature of \(\mathbb{M}\). Take \(H_0\) so that \(r_c(H_0)=r\). Then there is no graph over \(D_r\) in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\) whose mean curvature is \(\geq H_0\). This extends a result of Espinar and Rosenberg. The second main theorem states the following. Let \(\mathbb{M}\) be a complete simply connected Riemannian surface so that the infimum of its Gaussian curvature is \(c\in\mathbb{R}\) and whose injectivity radius is \(i\in(0,\infty]\). Let \(\Sigma\) be a properly embedded surface in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\) with mean curvature \(H\geq H_0>0\) (\(H_0>\sqrt{-c/2}\) if \(c<0\)). If \(r_c(H_0)<i\), then the mean convex component cannot contain a closed geodesic ball of radius \(\text{diam}_c(H_0)/2\). The third main theorem states the following. Let \(\mathbb{M}\) be a Hadamard surface with curvature \(K\geq-1\). Let \(\Sigma\) be a complete surface in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\) whose mean curvature \(H\) satisfies \(|H|\leq1/2\). Let \(S_0\) denote the entire rotational graph with constant mean curvature \(1/2\) in \(\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}\), and, given \(p\in\mathbb{M}\), let \(S^*(p)\) be the simply connected graph in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\) obtained from \(S_0\) using polar coordinates at \(p\). Then \(\Sigma\) cannot be properly embedded in the mean convex side of the \(S^*(p)\), unless \(H\equiv1/2\), \(\mathbb{M}=\mathbb{H}^2\) and \(\Sigma=S_0\). This is a generalization of a result by Nelli and Sa Earp. The fourth main theorem concerns the behaviour at infinity of a minimal surface in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\), where \(\mathbb{M}\) is a Hadamard surface with pinched curvature between two negative constants. It generalizes a result of Sa Earp and Toubiana. The fifth main theorem gives conditions under which a compact surface with constant mean curvature and boundary in a slice in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\) is a graph, where \(\mathbb{M}\) is a Hadamard surface with pinched curvature between two negative constants. It generalizes a result of Nelli, Sa Earp, Santos and Toubiana. The last main theorem is about the existence of graphs with positive constant extrinsic mean curvature in \(\mathbb{M}\times\mathbb{R}\). It solves the Dirichlet problem for the associated Monge-Ampère equation with zero boundary conditions.