A pinching theorem for mimimal hypersurfaces in a sphere (Q5927601)

The main result of this short paper is the theorem to the effect that a compact minimal hypersurface \(M^n\) in the unit sphere \(S^{n+1}\) with two distinct principal curvatures whose squared norm \(S\) of the second fundamental form satisfies \(S \geq n\) is in fact the minimal Clifford torus \(S^m(\sqrt{m/n}) \times S^{n-m}(\sqrt{(n-m)/n})\), \(1\leq m < n.\) This is an improvement of an earlier result by T. Otsuki who arrived at the same conclusion assuming, in addition, that the multiplicities of both principal curvatures are at least two [\textit{T. Otsuki}, Am. J. Math. 92, 145-173 (1970; Zbl 0196.25102)]. The Theorem also supersedes the result of Q. M. Cheng who derived the same conclusion under the assumption that \(S\) is also bounded from above [\textit{Q. M. Cheng}, Commun. Math. Helv. 71, 60-69 (1996; Zbl 0874.53046)].