We consider a 1-parameter family of strictly convex hypersurfaces in Rn+1 moving with speed −Kαν, where ν denotes the outward-pointing unit normal vector and α⩾1/(n+2). For α>1/(n+2), we show that the flow converges to a round sphere after rescaling. In the affine invariant case α=1/(n+2), our arguments give an alternative proof of the fact that the flow converges to an ellipsoid after rescaling.

In this paper, we derive two subgradient estimates of the CR heat equation in a closed pseudohermitian 3-manifold which are served as the CR version of the Li-Yau gradient estimate. With its applications, we first get a subgradient estimate of the logarithm of the positive solution of the CR heat equation. Secondly, we have the Harnack inequality and upper bound estimate for the heat kernel. Finally, we obtain Perelman-type entropy formulae for the CR heat equation.

We prove higher regularity properties of inverse mean curvature flow in Euclidean space: A sharp lower bound for the mean curvature is derived for star-shaped surfaces, independently of the initial mean curvature. It is also shown that solutions to the inverse mean curvature flow are smooth if the mean curvature is bounded from below. As a consequence we show that weak solutions of the inverse mean curvature flow are smooth for large times,beginning from the first time where a surface in the evolution is star-shaped.

We prove some half-space theorems for minimal surfaces in the Heisenberg group Nil3 and the Lie group Sol3 endowed with their standard left-invariant Riemannian metrics. If S is a properly immersed minimal surface in Nil3 that lies on one side of some entire minimal graph G, then S is the image of G by a vertical translation. If S is a properly immersed minimal surface in Sol3 that lies on one side of a special plane Et (see the discussion just before Theorem 1.5 for the definition of a special plane in Sol3), then S is the special plane Eu for some u 2 R.

The holonomy of the ambient metrics of Nurowski’s conformal structures associated to generic real-analytic 2-plane fields on oriented 5-manifolds is investigated. It is shown that the holonomy is always contained in the split real form G2 of the exceptional Lie group, and is equal to G2 for an open dense set of 2-plane fields given by explicit conditions. In particular, this gives an infinitedimensional family of metrics of holonomy equal to split G2. These results generalize work of Leistner-Nurowski. The inclusion of the holonomy in G2 is established by proving an ambient extension theorem for parallel tractors in the context of conformal geometry in general signature and dimension, which is expected to be of independent interest.