Curvature estimates for minimal hypersurfaces in the Heisenberg group

Abstract

This paper examines minimal hypersurfaces in sub-Riemannian Heisenberg groups. We extend the celebrated Simons formula and Kato inequality to the sub-Riemannian setting, and we apply them to obtain integral curvature estimates for stable hypersurfaces. These results lead to structural conditions that imply a Bernstein-type rigidity theorem for smooth, non-characteristic hypersurfaces in the second Heisenberg group.