Singularities of Axially Symmetric Volume Preserving Mean Curvature Flow

Abstract

We investigate the formation of singularities for surfaces evolving by volume preserving mean curvature flow. For axially symmetric flows - surfaces of revolution - in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with Neumann boundary conditions, we prove that the first developing singularity is of Type I. The result is obtained without any additional curvature assumptions being imposed, while axial symmetry and boundary conditions are justifiable given the volume constraint. Additional results and ingredients towards the main proof include a non-cylindrical parabolic maximum principle, and a series of estimates on geometric quantities involving gradient, curvature terms and derivatives thereof. These hold in arbitrary dimensions.