Boundary rectifiability and compactness of integral currents via $BV$ functions

Abstract

We present a new proof that an integer rectifiable current with finite mass, and whose boundary has also finite mass, is integral. We deduce the result from De Giorgi's structure theorem for integer-valued $BV$ functions and a cylindrical projection argument. As a consequence, we also give a new proof of the compactness of integral currents that is ultimately based on the $BV$ theory.