The variation formulas of Finsler submanifolds (Q632933)

The paper is concerned with isometric immersions \(\varphi :\left( M^{n},F\right) \rightarrow \left( \overline{M}^{n+p},\overline{F}\right) \) from a Finsler manifold to a Finsler manifold. The author uses the Chern connection to study them and to characterize minimal isometric immersions by determining the first variation formula for the volume of an embedded Finsler submanifold in terms of the induced Chern connection. He proves that an isometric immersion between Finsler manifolds is minimal if and only if it is harmonic, as well as a result due to \textit{G. Berck} [Math. Ann. 343, No. 4, 955--973 (2009; Zbl 1165.53366)] that totally geodesic submanifolds of Finsler manifolds are minimal. The author also determines the second variation formula for the volume of Landsberg hypersurfaces in Minkowski spaces.