Degree of the Gauss map and curvature integrals for closed hypersurfaces (Q722486)

Given a closed oriented hypersurface \(M^{n}\) immersed in \(\mathbb R^{n+1}\) with a smooth unit vector field \(v: M^n\to TM^n\) on it, the unit normal bundle of the hypersurface defines the Gauss map \(\nu: M^{n}\to S^{n}\). Using these two unit vector fields, the authors define a map \(M^n\to S^{n}\). The degree formula for this map gives in integral formulae new invariants that connect the second fundamental form of the normal bundle of \(v\subset TM^n\) and the degree of the Gauss map \(\deg(\nu)\). For even-dimensional hypersurfaces, these invariants are zero. In the context of foliation theory, the authors apply their results to the normal bundle \(v\) of leaves of a codimension-one foliation. For \(M^{2k+1}\), they show that if the rank of the second fundamental form of the foliation leaves does not exceed \(2k-2\), then \(\deg(\nu)=0\). In particular, we can see that if \(\deg(\nu)\neq 0\), then \(M^{2k+1}\) cannot have a totally geodesic codimension-one foliation (i.e., one with vanishing second fundamental form of its leaves).