Surfaces in non-flat 3-space forms satisfying \(\square \vec{\mathbf{H}}=\lambda \vec{\mathbf{H}}\) (Q6052975)

Let \(\mathbb{R}^4\) denote the \(4\)-dimensional Euclidean space equipped with its usual Riemannian metric \(\langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle\), and let \(\mathbb{R}^4_1\) and \(\mathbb{R}^4_2\) be the \(4\)-dimensional Euclidean spaces equipped with the index \(1\) and index \(2\) pseudo-Euclidean metrics, \[ \langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle_1=-dx_1\otimes dx_1+dx_2\otimes dx_2+ dx_3\otimes dx_3+dx_4\otimes dx_4 \] and \[ \langle\cdot,\cdot\rangle_2=-dx_1\otimes dx_1-dx_2\otimes dx_2+ dx_3\otimes dx_3+dx_4\otimes dx_4, \] respectively. Let \[ \mathbb{S}^3=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^4|\enspace\langle x,x\rangle=1\} \] be the \(3\)-dimensional sphere, \[ \mathbb{H}^3=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^4_1|\enspace\langle x,x\rangle_1=-1\} \] be the \(3\)-dimensional hyperbolic space, \[ \mathbb{S}^3_1=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^4_1|\enspace\langle x,x\rangle_1=1\} \] be the \(3\)-dimensional de Sitter space, and \[ \mathbb{H}^3_1=\{x\in\mathbb{R}^4_2|\enspace\langle x,x\rangle_2=-1\} \] be the \(3\)-dimensional anti-de Sitter space. The authors consider isometric immersions \(\psi\colon M^2\to M^3\) of \(2\)-dimensional surfaces of constant index \(0\), \(1\), or \(2\) into \(M^3\), where \(M^3\) is one of the four flavours of \(3\)-dimensional pseudo-Riemannian manifolds defined above. Let \(\vec{H}\) denote the mean curvature vector field for the immersion of \(M^2\) into the Euclidean space, defined by \[ \vec{H}=Hn-c\psi, \] where \(H\) is the mean curvature function of the immersion of \(M^2\) in \(M^3\), \(n\) is the unit normal vector for the immersion of \(M^2\) in \(M^3\), and \(c\in\{-1,+1\}\), depending on which of the four cases is considered. The Cheng-Yau operator \(\square\) used in the paper requires some buildup that we will not outline here. Suffice it to say that it is a non-elliptic second-order differential operator that arises as the linearisation for the first-variation of the Gaussian curvature of a surface. It was introduced in [\textit{S. Y. Cheng} and \textit{S. T. Yau}, Math. Ann. 225, 195--204 (1977; Zbl 0349.53041)]. With all of that being said, the authors classify the isometric immersions described above and satisfying the equation stated in the title. The precise classifications are too detailed to be properly given in this review. Examples are also given.