Classification of totally real 3-dimensional submanifolds of \(S^ 6(1)\) with K\(\geq 1/16\) (Q2640910)

The Cayley algebra induces in a natural way an almost complex structure J on the 6-dimensional sphere \(S^ 6(1)\) of constant curvature \(+1\). A submanifold M of \(S^ 6(1)\) is called totally real if the tangent space of M at each point is mapped by J into the normal space of M at that point. \textit{N. Ejiri} [Proc. Am. Math. Soc. 83, 759-763 (1981; Zbl 0474.53051)] proved that if a 3-dimensional totally real submanifold M of \(S^ 6(1)\) has constant Riemannian sectional curvature K, then either \(K=1\) or \(K=1/16\). The two standard examples for such submanifolds are provided by a suitable totally geodesic embedding of \(S^ 3(1)\) into \(S^ 6(1)\) and by a minimal isometric immersion from \(S^ 3(1/16)\) into \(S^ 6(1)\), which can be realized by using harmonic polynomials of degree 6. The authors construct another totally real isometric immersion from \(S^ 3\) (equipped with a suitable Riemannian metric) into \(S^ 6(1)\) with 1/16\(\leq K\leq 21/16\). The main result of the article says that the totally real isometric immersions from 3-dimensional Riemannian manifolds into \(S^ 6(1)\) with \(K\geq 1/16\) are basically given by the three examples mentioned above. A crucial role in the paper is played by a method based on some integral formulas of A. Ros.