Volume gap for minimal submanifolds in spheres, II

Abstract

Let $f:M^n\looparrowright\Sph^{n+q}(1)$, $n\ge2$ and $q\ge1$, be a closed, connected, non-totally-geodesic minimal immersion with second fundamental form $h$, and put $S=|h|^2$ and $S_*=\max_M S$. If $p\in f(M)$ has multiplicity $m$ and $f^{-1}(p)=\{x_1,\ldots,x_m\}$, then \[ \Vol(M)\ge \left[m+\varepsilon_n\sum_{j=1}^m \left(\frac{S(x_j)}{S_*}\right)^2\right]\Vol(\Sph^n), \] where $[110n(n+2)^2]^{-1}<\varepsilon_n<[104n(n+2)^2]^{-1}$. If the immersion is linearly full, then \[ \frac{\Vol(M)}{\Vol(\Sph^n)} \ge \max\!\left\{1+\varepsilon_n, \frac{4(n+1)^n}{(n+3)^{n+2}}(n+q+1)\right\}. \] Moreover, for every hyperplane $H$ through the origin, each connected component of $M\setminus f^{-1}(H)$ has volume at least $4(n+1)^n(n+3)^{-n-2}\Vol(\Sph^n)$; consequently the number of components is at most $\frac{(n+3)^{n+2}}{4(n+1)^n}\frac{\Vol(M)}{\Vol(\Sph^n)}$.