No label defined (Q4531330)

Some variational problems are studied for integral submanifolds \(M\) of the contact distribution in Sasakian manifold \(M\). The notions of Legendrian, Hamiltonian, and harmonic variations of volume for these submanifolds are defined and the corresponding notions of minimality and stability are derived and studied. It is proved that if \(M\) has parallel mean curvature vector field then \(M\) is \(e\)-minimal (i.e. with zero first variation of the volume along each normal vector field which is a Hamiltonian variation). For the second variation of volume the submanifold is said to be stable if this variation is non-negative for each normal vector field. For Legendrian, Hamiltonian, and harmonic variations the corresponding terms are \(l\)-stable, \(e\)-stable, and \(h\)-stable. It is proved that if \(M\) is \(l\)-stable then it is \(h\)-stable and \(e\)-stable. If \(M\) is \(h\)-unstable or \(e\)-unstable then it is \(l\)-unstable and hence \(M\) is unstable. For submanifolds \(M\) with positive (resp. non-positive) \(F\)-sectional curvature and for totally geodesic (resp. compact maximal) integral submanifolds \(M\) is proved that if \(M\) is a compact minimal hypersurface (resp. minimal submanifold) then it is \(l\)-unstable (resp. stable). Finally, some problems are proposed.