Extension of a theorem of Shi and Tam

Abstract

In this note, we prove the following generalization of a theorem of Shi and Tam (J Differ Geom 62:79–125, 2002): Let (Ω, g) be an n-dimensional (n ≥ 3) compact Riemannian manifold, spin when n > 7, with non-negative scalar curvature and mean convex boundary. If every boundary component Σ _i has positive scalar curvature and embeds isometrically as a mean convex star-shaped hypersurface ${{\hat \Sigma}_i \subset \mathbb{R}^n}$, then

$$ \int\limits_{\Sigma_i} H \ d \sigma \le \int\limits_{{\hat \Sigma}_i} \hat{H} \ d {\hat \sigma} $$

where H is the mean curvature of Σ _i in (Ω, g), ${\hat{H}}$ is the Euclidean mean curvature of ${{\hat \Sigma}_i}$ in ${\mathbb{R}^n}$, and where d σ and ${d {\hat \sigma}}$ denote the respective volume forms. Moreover, equality holds for some boundary component Σ _i if, and only if, (Ω, g) is isometric to a domain in ${\mathbb{R}^n}$. In the proof, we make use of a foliation of the exterior of the ${\hat \Sigma_i}$’s in ${\mathbb{R}^n}$ by the ${\frac{H}{R}}$-flow studied by Gerhardt (J Differ Geom 32:299–314, 1990) and Urbas (Math Z 205(3):355–372, 1990). We also carefully establish the rigidity statement in low dimensions without the spin assumption that was used in Shi and Tam (J Differ Geom 62:79–125, 2002).