Area-minimizing of the cone over symmetric \(R\)-spaces (Q5933602)

Let \(B\) be a compact submanifold of the unit sphere in \(\mathbb{R}^n\) and \(C_B\) the cone over \(B\), \(C_B=\{tx: x\in B,\;t\geq 0\}\). \(C_B\) is said to be area minimizing if \(C_B'=\{tx: x\in B,0\leq t\leq 1\}\) has the least area among all surfaces with boundary \(B\). In this paper the authors consider the case when \(B\) is a symmetric \(R\)-space canonically imbedded into a sphere. In order to apply \textit{G. R. Lawlor}'s criterion [Mem. Am. Math. Soc. 446 (1991; Zbl 0745.49029)] for area minimization they construct explicitly, using root systems, area non-increasing retractions onto the cones over \(B\). In the last section of the paper they apply this result to symmetric \(R\)-spaces associated with symmetric pairs of type \(B_I\).