A characterization of quadric constant mean curvature hypersurfaces of spheres

Alias, Luis J.; Brasil Jr., Aldir; Perdomo, Oscar

A characterization of quadric constant mean curvature hypersurfaces of spheres

Authors

Alias, Luis J.

Brasil Jr., Aldir

Perdomo, Oscar

Description

Let $ϕ:M\to\mathbb{S}^{n+1}\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+2}$ be an immersion of a complete $n$-dimensional oriented manifold. For any $v\in\mathbb{R}^{n+2}$, let us denote by $\ell_v:M\to\mathbb{R}$ the function given by $\ell_v(x)=ϕ(x),v$ and by $f_v:M\to\mathbb{R}$, the function given by $f_v(x)=ν(x),v$, where $ν:M\to\mathbb{S}^{n}$ is a Gauss map. We will prove that if $M$ has constant mean curvature, and, for some $v\ne{\bf 0}$ and some real number $λ$, we have that $\ell_v=λf_v$, then, $ϕ(M)$ is either a totally umbilical sphere or a Clifford hypersurface. As an application, we will use this result to prove that the weak stability index of any compact constant mean curvature hypersurface $M^n$ in $\mathbb{S}^{n+1}$ which is neither totally umbilical nor a Clifford hypersurface and has constant scalar curvature is greater than or equal to $2n+4$.
Final version (February 2008). To appear in the Journal of Geometric Analysis