On the Laplace-sequence of relative normalizations of hypersurfaces in the Euclidean space \(\mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) (Q895723)

Denote by \(\vec{x}:M\rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) an immersion and \(\vec{y}:M\rightarrow \mathbb{R}^{n+1}\) a relative normalization of the hypersurface \(\Phi=(M,\vec{x})\). Via the second Beltrami operator \(\Delta^{G}\) with respect to the relative metric \(G\) (defined by \(\vec{x}\) and \(\vec{y}\)) the \textit{Laplace normal vector of} \(\vec{y}\) is defined by \(\vec{L}:={1\over n}\Delta^{G}\vec{x}\). Due to \textit{E. Heil} [Result. Math. 13, No. 3--4, 240--254 (1988; Zbl 0643.53008)] there is a relative normalization \(\vec{y}_1\) such that \(\vec{L}\) and \(\vec{y}_1\) are homothetic; \(\vec{y}_1\) is called the \textit{first relative Laplace normalization with respect to} \(\vec{y}\). In Proposition 3.1 of the present paper the authors give a new proof for this assertion. Denoting \(\vec{\xi}\) and \(\vec{y}_{\mathrm{AFF}}\) the Euclidean and the equiaffine normal vector respectively, a further discussion characterizes the situations of homothetic pairs \((\vec{y},\vec{y}_1)\), \((\vec{y}_1,\vec{y}_mathrm{AFF})\) and \((\vec{L},\vec{\xi})\) (Propositions 3.2 and 3.3). Hereby, a main technical tool is the use of the (Euclidean) support function of a relative normalization defined by \(q:=\langle \vec \xi,\vec y \rangle:M\rightarrow \mathbb R\). Special results are obtained taking support functions of the type \(^{(\alpha)}q:=|{K_I}|^{\alpha}\) where \(K_I\) denotes Euclidean Gaussian curvature. In Section 4, a \textit{Laplace-sequence} of relative normalizations \({\mathcal L}:=(\vec{y}_{\nu})_{\nu\in\mathbb N}\) is considered as follows: Writing \(\vec{y}_0\) and \(\vec{L}_0\) instead of \(\vec{y}\) and \(\vec{L}\) respectively above construction gives a relative normalization \(\vec{y}_1\) (homothetic to \(\vec{L}_0\)). Now \(\vec{y}_1\) leads to a new Laplace normal vector \(\vec{L}_1\) and a relative normal vector \(\vec{y}_2\) and so on. The authors prove that the sequence \(\mathcal L\) converges to the equiaffine normalization (Proposition 4.1). The well-written paper gives some interesting relations concerning relative and Laplace normals of a hypersurface.