On closed surfaces with nonnegative curvature in the spectral sense

Abstract

We study closed orientable surfaces satisfying the spectral condition $\lambda_1(-\Delta+\beta K)\geq\lambda\geq0$, where $\beta$ is a positive constant and $K$ is the Gauss curvature. This condition naturally arises for stable minimal surfaces in 3-manifolds with positive scalar curvature. We show isoperimetric inequalities, area growth theorems and diameter bounds for such surfaces. The validity of these inequalities are subject to certain bounds for $\beta$. Associated to a positive super-solution $\Delta\varphi\leq\beta K\varphi$, the conformal metric $\varphi^{2/\beta}g$ has pointwise nonnegative curvature. Utilizing the geometry of the new metric, we prove H\"older precompactness and almost rigidity results concerning the main spectral condition.