Generalized maximum principles and the characterization of linear Weingarten hypersurfaces in space forms (Q2449619)

For a complete hypersurface \(M^n\) of a real space form \(\mathbb Q^{n+1}_c\) of constant sectional curvature \(c\) let \( g\), \(R\), \(h\), \(H\) and \(\Phi := h - Hg\) denote respectively the metric, the normalized scalar curvature, the second fundamental tensor, the mean curvature, and the traceless part of \(h\). A hypersurface is called a linear Weingarten hypersurface if there is a linear relationship between \(R\) and \(H,\) i.e., \(R = aH + b\) for some \(a, b \in \mathbb R.\) These hypersurfaces were previously studied in [\textit{H. Li} et al., Bull. Korean Math. Soc. 46, No. 2, 321--329 (2009; Zbl 1165.53361)] where it was proved that a compact linear Weingarten hypersurface with non-negative sectional curvature in \(\mathbb S^{n+1}\) such that \(R = aH + b\) with \((n-1)a^2 + 4n (b-1) \geq 0\) must be either totally umbilical or isometric to a Clifford torus \(\mathbb S^k(\sqrt{1 - r^2}) \times \mathbb S^{n-k}(r)\) for \(1 \leq k \leq n - 1.\) In the paper under review, the authors study a complete linear Weingarten hypersurface \(M^n\) in a real space form \(\mathbb Q^{n+1}_c, \, n \geq 3,\) for which \(R = aH + b\) with \((n - 1)a^2 + 4n (b - c) \geq 0\), that also satisfy the inequality \[ \sup_M |\Phi |^2 \leq \frac{n(n-1) R^2}{(n -2)[nR - (n-2)c]}. \tag{*} \] They prove two theorems, making an additional set of assumptions in each, with the identical conclusion in both theorems that under conditions as above, either \(|\Phi | \equiv 0\) and \(M^n\) is totally umbilical or \( |\Phi |^2 \equiv n(n-1) R^2 /(n -2)[nR - (n-2)c]\) and \(M^n\) is isometric to (in each of the three ambient space forms): (a)\; the Clifford torus \(\mathbb S^1 (\sqrt{1 - r^2}) \times \mathbb S^{n-1}(r), \; \) in the case \( c = 1; \, \) (b)\; the Circular cylinder \(\mathbb R \times \mathbb S^{n-1}(r), \, \) in the case \(c = 0;\) Hyperbolic cylinder \(\mathbb H^1 (- \sqrt{1 + r^2}) \times \mathbb S^{n-1}(r), \; \) where \(r = \sqrt{(n-2)/(n R)}.\) The proofs involve the generalized maximum principle of Omori and Yau together with Hopf's strong maximum principle.