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Entropy and round-point convergence for the σkσ_k-curvature flow

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Abstract

We prove that every smooth closed strictly convex hypersurface in Rn+1\mathbb R^{n+1} contracts to a round point under the σkσ_k-curvature flow for 2≤k≤n−12\leq k\leq n-1, without additional pinching or symmetry assumptions. After rescaling about the extinction point to mean width two, the hypersurfaces converge smoothly and exponentially in normalized time to the unit sphere. The proof is based on an entropy which is invariant under translations and dilations and admits a representation by weighted boundary areas of orthogonal projections. A strengthened Codazzi inequality yields its monotonicity. An upper bound for the entropy controls the inradius relative to the mean width, while its dissipation controls the spatial variation of the normalized speed. We also obtain two-sided curvature bounds at the natural extinction scale.

Introduction

A classical problem for contracting curvature flows is to determine whether closed convex hypersurfaces shrink to round points. Huisken [24] proved that every smooth closed strictly convex hypersurface in Euclidean space contracts to a round point under mean curvature flow. Alternative proofs were given by Hamilton [22] and Andrews [2]. Chow [15] established the corresponding result for the nnth root of the Gauss curvature, and later proved round-point convergence for the square root of the scalar curvature under an initial curvature pinching assumption [16]. Andrews [2] obtained convergence results for a large class of homogeneous degree-one curvature flows. In particular, his later pinching estimates [8] established round-point convergence for the speeds σ1/k\sigma^{1/k}, 1≤k≤n1 \leq k \leq n, without an initial curvature pinching assumption.

The Gauss curvature flow has been studied extensively, beginning with Firey’s model for the abrasion of convex bodies [17]. Tso [32] proved finite-time contraction to a point, and Andrews [6] established round-point convergence for convex surfaces in R3\mathbb{R}^3. Entropy estimates for the Gauss curvature flow were developed by Andrews [7]. In higher dimensions, Guan–Ni [21] proved smooth convergence of the volume-normalized Gauss curvature flow to a strictly convex self-similar solution. Andrews–Guan–Ni [10] obtained corresponding convergence results for KαK^\alpha when α>1/(n+2)\alpha> 1/(n + 2). Together with the classification of self-similar solutions by Brendle–Choi–Daskalopoulos [14], these results give round-point convergence for α>1/(n+2)\alpha> 1/(n + 2). At the affine exponent α=1/(n+2)\alpha= 1/(n + 2), the normalized flow converges to an ellipsoid, as proved by Andrews [5].

For other curvature speeds of homogeneity greater than one, convergence results have often required additional assumptions on the initial hypersurface. Schulze [31] proved round-point convergence for powers of the mean curvature under suitable initial curvature pinching assumptions. In the appendix, jointly with Schnürer, he also proved convergence without pinching for convex surfaces in R3\mathbb{R}^{3} moving by HαH^\alpha, 1≤α≤51 \le\alpha\le5. Andrews–McCoy [11] obtained convergence results for more general curvature speeds under sufficiently strong initial pinching assumptions. For powers of the scalar curvature, Alessandroni–Sinestrari [1] proved round-point convergence for σ2α\sigma_{2}^{\alpha}, α>1/2\alpha> 1/2, under an initial curvature pinching assumption. They conjectured that this assumption could be removed. Li–Wang–Wu [27] proved spherical convergence for the speeds σkα\sigma_{k}^{\alpha} on strictly convex axially symmetric hypersurfaces when 1/k≤α≤c(n,k)1/k \le\alpha\le c(n,k), for some c(n,k)>1/kc(n,k) > 1/k. For the intermediate speeds σkα\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}, 2≤k≤n−12 \le k \le n - 1, round-point convergence from arbitrary smooth closed strictly convex initial hypersurfaces was not previously known without additional pinching or symmetry assumptions.

Some related results are available without these assumptions. Guan–Huang–Liu [20 Theorem 1.1 and Remark 5.1(2)] proved finite-time contraction to a point for a class of curvature flows which includes σkα\sigma_{k}^{\alpha} for every 1≤k≤n1 \le k \le n and α>0\alpha> 0. Gao–Li–Ma [18 Theorem 1.4] proved that smooth closed strictly convex self-similar shrinkers for the σkα\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}-flow are spheres when 1≤k<n1 \le k < n and α≥1/k\alpha\ge1/k. Related rigidity results for high powers of more general curvature functions were obtained by Gao–Li–Wang [19]. However, point extinction and the classification of self-similar shrinkers do not by themselves imply convergence of the rescaled flow. For this, one needs uniform estimates and a way to show that the normalized hypersurfaces approach a sphere.

The curvature pinching arguments used for degree-one flows do not extend directly to the speeds σkα\sigma_{k}^{\alpha}, 2≤k≤n−12 \le k \le n - 1. As observed in [1], the higher homogeneity introduces gradient terms which are difficult to control without an initial pinching assumption. The entropy method for the Gauss curvature flow also uses features particular to Gauss curvature. In Gauss coordinates, K dμ=dσK\,d\mu= d\sigma, whereas σk dμ\sigma_{k}\,d\mu depends on the principal radii of curvature when k<nk < n. A different monotone quantity is therefore needed for the intermediate flows.

Related results have been obtained for constrained curvature flows. Andrews–Wei [13] proved smooth convergence to spheres for flows by positive powers of σk\sigma_{k}, preserving the enclosed volume or a mixed volume, without initial curvature pinching assumptions. Their proof uses the monotonicity of an isoperimetric ratio to control the inradius and diameter, followed by a lower speed estimate. For further results on contracting convex hypersurfaces, we refer to [12] and the monograph [9].

In this paper, we prove round-point convergence for the σk\sigma_{k}-curvature flow, 2≤k≤n−12 \le k \le n - 1, starting from arbitrary smooth closed strictly convex hypersurfaces. The main ingredient is a strengthened Codazzi inequality which yields a scale-invariant monotone entropy. The entropy controls the inradius relative to the mean width, and its dissipation gives convergence of the normalized support function before uniform curvature bounds are obtained. These estimates lead to smooth exponential convergence to a sphere.

1.1. Main result. Let X0:Mn→Rn+1X_{0}: M^{n} \to\mathbb{R}^{n+1} be a smooth embedding of a closed connected manifold, with strictly convex image M0M_{0}. For the principal curvatures κ=(κ1,…,κn)\kappa= (\kappa_{1}, \ldots, \kappa_{n}) of a hypersurface, set

σk(κ)=∑1≤i1<⋯<ik≤nκi1⋯κik,Ek(κ)=(nk)−1σk(κ).(1)\sigma_k(\kappa)=\sum_{1\le i_1<\cdots<i_k\le n}\kappa_{i_1}\cdots\kappa_{i_k},\qquad E_k(\kappa)=\binom{n}{k}^{-1}\sigma_k(\kappa). \tag*{(1)}

In particular, σ1=H\sigma_1=H and σn=K\sigma_n=K, where HH and KK are the mean curvature and Gauss curvature, respectively. Thus E1=H/nE_1=H/n and En=KE_n=K.

We consider the contracting σk\sigma_k-curvature flow of hypersurfaces Mt=X(M,t)M_t=X(M,t), written with the normalized speed EkE_k as

{∂tX=−Ek(W)ν,X(⋅,0)=X0,(2)\begin{cases} \partial_tX=-E_k(W)\nu,\\ X(\cdot,0)=X_0, \tag*{(2)} \end{cases}

where X(⋅,t)X(\cdot,t) is a family of smooth embeddings, ν\nu is the outward unit normal, and WW is the shape operator of MtM_t. Since Ek=(nk)−1σkE_k=\binom{n}{k}^{-1}\sigma_k, the two speeds differ only by a constant rescaling of time. Let Ωt\Omega_t be the convex body enclosed by MtM_t, and let h(⋅,t)h(\cdot,t) be its support function.

Theorem 1.1. Let n≥3n\ge3 and 2≤k≤n−12\le k\le n-1. Suppose that M0⊂Rn+1M_0\subset\mathbb{R}^{n+1} is smooth, closed, connected, embedded, and strictly convex. Then (2) has a unique maximal smooth strictly convex solution on [0,T)[0,T), where T<∞T<\infty, and MtM_t contracts to a point x∗∈Rn+1x_*\in\mathbb{R}^{n+1}.

Let b(t)b(t) be half the mean width of Ωt\Omega_t, and define

b(t)=1∣Sn∣∫Snh(z,t) dσ,τ(t)=∫0tb(s)−(k+1) ds,b(t)=\frac{1}{\lvert\mathbb{S}^n\rvert}\int_{\mathbb{S}^n}h(z,t)\,d\sigma,\qquad\tau(t)=\int_0^t b(s)^{-(k+1)}\,ds,
Y(⋅,τ(t))=X(⋅,t)−x∗b(t).(3)Y(\cdot,\tau(t))=\frac{X(\cdot,t)-x_*}{b(t)}. \tag*{(3)}

Then τ(t)→∞\tau(t)\to\infty as t→Tt\to T, and the support function uu of YY has mean one and satisfies

u(⋅,τ)⟶1in Cj(Sn)for every integer j≥0.(4)u(\cdot,\tau)\longrightarrow1\quad\text{in }C^j(\mathbb{S}^n)\quad\text{for every integer }j\ge0. \tag*{(4)}

The convergence is exponential in the normalized time.

There are c,C>0c,C>0, depending only on M0,n,kM_0,n,k, such that

c(T−t)−1/(k+1)≤κi(Mt)≤C(T−t)−1/(k+1),1≤i≤n,(5)c(T-t)^{-1/(k+1)}\le\kappa_i(M_t)\le C(T-t)^{-1/(k+1)},\qquad1\le i\le n, \tag*{(5)}

for all tt sufficiently close to TT. In particular, the flow satisfies the corresponding Type I upper bounds for HH and EkE_k.

The existence and point-extinction assertions follow from Proposition 2.2. The normalization fixes the mean width at two. The exponential convergence rate is given in Corollary 5.3.

Theorem 1.1 establishes round-point convergence for the flow (2) in the intermediate range 2≤k≤n−12\le k\le n-1, without any initial curvature pinching or symmetry assumption. The monotone entropy also provides an alternative proof of the rigidity of self-similar shrinkers (Corollary 4.2) and yields a quantitative stability estimate (Proposition 4.6).

Discussion of the proof

The main difficulty for the intermediate flows 2≤k≤n−12\le k\le n-1 is to obtain convergence without an initial curvature pinching assumption. Our proof uses a new monotone entropy to control the geometry of the evolving hypersurfaces. Its dissipation gives convergence of the normalized support function before uniform curvature bounds are established.

A strengthened Codazzi inequality. Let σ\sigma and ∇‾\overline{\nabla} denote the round metric and connection on Sn\mathbb{S}^n. The principal-radius tensors of the original and normalized hypersurfaces are B=∇‾2h+hσB=\overline{\nabla}^2h+h\sigma and B~=∇‾2u+uσ\widetilde{B}=\overline{\nabla}^{2}u+u\sigma, respectively. Set G(B)=−Ek(B−1)=−FG(B)=-E_k(B^{-1})=-F. The Codazzi equation implies that ∇‾B\overline{\nabla}B is fully symmetric. For 1≤k<n1\le k<n, Proposition 3.1 proves

−G¨ij,rsTmijTmrs≥2nE1(B)G¨ijTippTjqq+1F∑m(G¨ijTmij)2-\ddot{G}^{ij,rs}T_{mij}T_{mrs}\ge\frac{2}{nE_1(B)}\ddot{G}^{ij}T_{ipp}T_{jqq}+\frac{1}{F}\sum_m\left(\ddot{G}^{ij}T_{mij}\right)^2

for every fully symmetric three-tensor TT. If the last term is omitted, equality holds only for T=0T=0, and the coefficient 2 is optimal.

Taking T=∇‾BT=\overline{\nabla}B, the remainder CGC_G defined in (26) satisfies

CG≥∣∇‾F∣2F,CG=0⟺∇‾B=0.C_G\ge\frac{\lvert\overline{\nabla}F\rvert^2}{F},\qquad C_G=0\quad\Longleftrightarrow\quad\overline{\nabla}B=0.

Thus the inequality controls the gradient of the speed and characterizes the equality case.

A monotone entropy. For 2≤k≤n−12\le k\le n-1, set

p=n−1k−1,q=p−1=n−kk−1,(6)p=\frac{n-1}{k-1},\qquad q=p-1=\frac{n-k}{k-1}, \tag*{(6)}

and define

E(M)=1∣Sn∣∫MEk(W)pE1(B)q dμ.(7)\mathcal{E}(M)=\frac{1}{\lvert S^n\rvert}\int_M E_k(W)^p E_1(B)^q\,d\mu. \tag*{(7)}

This entropy is invariant under translations and dilations. It has a geometric interpretation in terms of orthogonal projections. Indeed, writing j=n−kj=n-k, we prove

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