Enhanced profile estimates for ovals and translators (Q6608025)

Mean curvature flow (MCF) is a geometric heat equation which evolves a family of immersions \(\mathbf{x}: M^n \times I \rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) such that\N\[\N\partial_t \mathbf{x} = \mathbf{H}\N\]\Nwhere \(\mathbf{H}\) is the mean curvature vector of the immersed submanifold \(M^n_t := \mathbf{x}\left(M^n,t\right)\). Due to the non-linearities of this PDE, one frequently encounters finite time singularities. Understanding the formation of these singularities is of vital importance when using MCF to prove geometric/topological results. In order to study the singularity formation, one takes ``blow-up limits''/``tangent flows'' around a singular point by parabolically rescaling. This leads to the study of ancient solutions to MCF, such as self-shrinkers and self-translators, though more general ancient solutions, such as ancient ovals, also need to be considered (see, for instance, [\textit{B. White}, J. Am. Math. Soc. 16, No. 1, 123--138 (2003; Zbl 1027.53078)]).\N\NFor ancient ovals in particular, the question of uniqueness (up to scaling and rigid motions) was quite difficult. This ended up being resolved by work of Angenent-Daskalopoulos-Šešum (see [\textit{S. Angenent} et al., J. Differ. Geom. 111, No. 3, 381--455 (2019; Zbl 1416.53061); Ann. Math. (2) 192, No. 2, 353--436 (2020; Zbl 1459.53080)]) by first proving unique asymptotics and then upgrading these results to a full uniqueness statement through use of a sharp \(C^0\)-estimate and quadratic concavity estimates for the profile function of ancient ovals. \N\NIn the current paper, the authors prove enhancements of the ADS estimates for ancient ovals in \(\mathbb{R}^3\), as well as analogous results for self-translators in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) to help with a program devoted to classifying ancient solutions to MCF in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) (see [\textit{W. Du} and \textit{R. Haslhofer}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 802, 275--285 (2023; Zbl 1536.53178); \textit{B. Choi} et al., ``Classification of bubble-sheet ovals in \(\mathbb{R}^{4}\)'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2209.04931}; \textit{W. Du} and \textit{R. Haslhofer}, Commun. Pure Appl. Math. 77, No. 1, 543--582 (2024; Zbl 1530.35136); \textit{K. Choi} et al., Camb. J. Math. 11, No. 3, 563--698 (2023; Zbl 1520.53079); \textit{K. Choi} et al., ``A nonexistence result for wing-like mean curvature flows in \(\mathbb{R}^4\)'', Preprint, \url{arXiv:2105.13100}]). The authors note that their techniques seem to apply in other cases, so this paper may be a good starting point for various future investigations. In particular, the authors prove a \(C^1\)-estimate and Hessian estimate for the profile function of ancient ovals in \(\mathbb{R}^3\), the latter of which leads to estimates for all higher derivatives using a bootstrapping argument. The Hessian estimate is also noted to be a partial converse to the quadratic concavity estimate of Angenent-Daskalopoulos-Šešum. The authors also prove analogous estimates for self-translators in \(\mathbb{R}^4\) using many of the same techniques, though additional non-linear terms need to be dealt with.