Contracting axially symmetric hypersurfaces by powers of the \(\sigma_k\)-curvature (Q2659515)

Let \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}(\epsilon)\), \(\epsilon=-1,0,1\), be a real space form. A family of smoothly, closed, strictly convex immersed hypersurfaces \(X(\cdot,t):M\times [0,T)\rightarrow\mathbb{R}^{n+1}(\epsilon)\) moves by \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow if \[ \begin{cases} \dfrac{\partial X}{\partial t}(\cdot,t)=-\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}(\cdot,t)\nu(\cdot,t) \\ X(\cdot,0) = X_{0}(\cdot), \end{cases} \] where \(\alpha\geq\frac{1}{k}\), \(\nu\) is the outer unit normal vector of \(M_{t}=X_{t}(M)\) and \(\sigma_{k}\) is the \(k\)-th elementary symmetric function of the principal curvatures of \(M_{t}\). When \(\epsilon=0\), \(\alpha = k = 1\), the \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow is the well-known mean curvature flow. In case \(\epsilon=0\), \(k = 1\), the \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow is called \(H_{\alpha}\)-flow and was studied by \textit{F. Schulze} [Math. Z. 251, No. 4, 721--733 (2005; Zbl 1087.53062)]. When \(\epsilon=0\), \(k=2\), the flow corresponds to the flow of powers by the scalar curvature, which was studied by \textit{R. Schulze} and \textit{C. Sinestrari} [Ann. Sc. Norm. Super. Pisa, Cl. Sci. (5) 9, No. 3, 541--571 (2010; Zbl 1248.53047)]. From the theory of contracting curvature flows in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}(\epsilon)\), it is reasonable to ask the following open questions: Question 1: For any fixed \(k\) with \(1\leq k\leq n-1\), can the solutions of the \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow with closed, strictly convex initial hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) converge to round spheres after proper rescaling for some \(\alpha > \frac{1}{k}\)? Question 2: For any fixed \(k\) with \(1\leq k\leq n\), can the solutions of the \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow with closed, strictly convex initial hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{S}^{n+1}\) converge to round spheres after proper rescaling for some \(\alpha > \frac{1}{k}\)? In the paper under review, the authors provide an affirmative answer to the above questions in axially symmetric cases. They found appropriate constants \(c_{0}(n,k)>\frac{1}{k}\) and \(c_{2}(n,k)>\frac{1}{k}\), such that: \(i)\) For any fixed \(k\) with \(1\leq k\leq n-1\), if \(\alpha\in[\frac{1}{k},c_{0}(n,k)]\), then any closed, strictly convex axially symmetric hypersurface in \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\), \(n\geq3\), will contract to a round point under the \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow without initial curvature pinching conditions. \(ii)\) For any fixed \(k\) with \(1\leq k\leq n\), if \(\alpha\in[\frac{1}{k},c_{1}(n,k)]\), any closed, strictly convex axially symmetric hypersurface in \(\mathbb{S}^{n+1}\), \(n\geq3\) will contract to a round point under the \(\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}\)-curvature flow without initial curvature pinching conditions.