Normal scalar curvature conjecture and its applications (Q549656)

The first conjecture proved in this paper is the normal scalar curvature conjecture (NSCC). Let \(M^n\) be an \(n\)-dimensional Riemannian manifold isometrically immersed into the space form \(N^{n+m}(c)\) of constant curvature \(c\). Let \(\rho\) be the normalized scalar curvature defined as \[ \rho = \frac{2}{n(n-1)}\sum_{1=i<j}^nR(e_i, e_j, e_j, e_i), \] where \({e_1,\dots ,e_n}\) is a local orthonormal frame of the tangent bundle and \(R\) is the curvature tensor of the tangent bundle. \textit{P. J. De Smet, F. Dillen, L. Verstraelen} and \textit{L. Vrancken} [``A pointwise inequality in submanifold theory'', Arch. Math., Brno 35, No.~2, 115--128 (1999; Zbl 1054.53075)] conjectured that, if \(\rho^\perp=\frac{1}{n(n-1)}|R^\perp|\), where \(R^\perp\) is the curvature tensor of the normal bundle, then \(\rho+\rho ^\perp \leq |H|^2+c\), where \(H=\frac{1}{n} \text{ trace } h\) (\(h\) being the second fundamental form). This is known as the NSCC. There are proofs for weaker versions of this conjecture. The case \(\rho\leq |H^2|+c\) was already proved by \textit{B.-Y. Chen} [``Mean curvature and shape operator of isometric immersions in real-space-forms'', Glasg. Math. J. 38, No.~1, 87--97 (1996; Zbl 0866.53038)], and there is also an alternative proof of this conjecture by \textit{B. Suceavă} [``Some remarks on B. Y. Chen's inequality involving classical invariants'', An. Ştiinţ. Univ. Al. I. Cuza Iaşi, Ser. Nouă, Mat. 45, No.~2, 405--412 (1999; Zbl 1011.53042)]. The author considers a reformulation of the NSCC in matrix notation, and the conjectured inequality becomes \[ \left(\sum_{r=1}^m \|A_r\|\right)^2\geq 2 \left(\sum_{r<s}\|[A_r, A_s]\|^2\right) \] for \(m,n\geq 2\), where \(\|A\|\) is the Hilbert-Schmidt norm of a square matrix \(A\), and \([A,B]\) is the commutator of two \(n \times n\) matrices. He calls this inequality conjecture \(P(m,n)\). Both conjectures are equivalent. There are proofs of special cases of conjecture \(P(m,n)\), and the author gives a detailed list of these special cases. The first part of this paper is dedicated to the proof of the NSCC using matrix notation. In the second part of the paper, the author uses the method established earlier to sharpen the pinching theorems of Simons type. He establishes a new Simons-type formula and obtains a new pinching theorem (Section 5): Let \(0\leq \| \sigma \|^2+\lambda\leq n\) (where \(\| \sigma \|^2\) is the trace of the fundamental matrix \(\| \sigma \|^2=\lambda_1+\dots+\lambda_n\)), then \(M\) is totally geodesic, or is one of the \(M_{r,n-r} \) \((1\leq r\leq n )\) in \(S^{n+m}\), or is a Veronese surface in \(S^{2+m}\). The author believes that this may be the starting point of the gap theorem of \textit{C.-K. Peng} and \textit{C.-L. Terng} [``Minimal hypersurfaces of spheres with constant scalar curvature'', Semin. on minimal submanifolds, Ann. Math. Stud. 103, 177--198 (1983; Zbl 0534.53048)] in high codimensions and suggests a new conjecture: Conjecture: Let \(M\) be an \(n\)-dimensional minimal submanifold in \(S^{n+m}\); if \(\|\sigma \|^2+\lambda_2\) is a constant and if \(\|\sigma \|^2+\lambda_2>n\), then there is a constant \(\epsilon (n,m)>0\) such that \(\|\sigma \|^2+\lambda_2>n+\epsilon (n,m)\). For \(m=1\), there is a proof for this conjecture in the article by Peng and Terng [loc. cit.]. In the last part of the paper, the author proves the conjecture of \textit{A. Böttcher} and \textit{D. Wenzel} [``How big can the commutator of two matrices be and how big is it typically?'', Linear Algebra Appl. 403, 216--228 (2005; Zbl 1077.15020)]. The conjecture states that, if \(X\) and \(Y\) are two \(n\times n\) matrices, then \(\|[X, Y]\|^2\leq 2 \|X\|^2\|Y\|^2\).