Let (M, g) be a complete 3-dimensional asymptotically flat manifold with everywhere positive scalar curvature. We prove that, given a compact subset K  M, all volume preserving stable constant mean curvature surfaces of sufficiently large area will avoid K. This complements the results of G. Huisken and S.-T. Yau [17] and of J. Qing and G. Tian [26] on the uniqueness of large volume preserving stable constant mean curvature spheres in initial data sets that are asymptotically close to Schwarzschild with mass m > 0. The analysis in [17] and [26] takes place in the asymptotic regime of M. Here we adapt ideas from the minimal surface proof of the positive mass theorem [32] by R. Schoen and S.-T. Yau and develop geometric properties of volume preserving stable constant mean curvature surfaces to handle surfaces that run through the part of M that is far from Euclidean.

It is classically known that complete flat (that is, zero Gaussian curvature) surfaces in Euclidean 3-space R3 are cylinders over space curves. This implies that the study of global behaviour of flat surfaces requires the study of singular points as well. If a flat surface f admits singularities but its Gauss map  is globally defined on the surface and can be smoothly extended across the singular set, f is called a frontal. In addition, if the pair (f, ) defines an immersion into R3×S2, f is called a front. A front f is called flat if the Gauss map degenerates everywhere. The parallel surfaces and the caustic (i.e. focal surface) of a flat front f are also flat fronts. In this paper, we generalize the classical notion of completeness to flat fronts, and give a representation formula for a flat front which has a non-empty compact singular set and whose ends are all immersed and complete. As an application, we show that such a flat front has properly embedded ends if and only if its Gauss map image is a convex curve. Moreover, we show the existence of at least four singular points other than cuspidal edges on such a flat front with embedded ends, which is a variant of the classical four vertex theorem for convex plane curves.

For stratified Mukai flops of type An,k,D2k+1 and E6,I , it is shown that the fiber product induces isomorphisms on Chow motives. In contrast to (standard) Mukai flops, the cup product is generally not preserved. For An,2, D5 and E6,I flops, quantum corrections are found through degeneration/deformation to ordinary flops.

In a symmetric space of noncompact type X = G=K oriented geodesic segments correspond modulo isometries to vectors in the Euclidean Weyl chamber. We can hence assign vector valued lengths to segments. Our main result is a system of homogeneous linear inequalities, which we call the generalized triangle inequalities or stability inequalities, describing the restrictions on the vector valued side lengths of oriented polygons. It is based on the mod 2 Schubert calculus in the real Grassmannians G=P for maximal parabolic subgroups P. The side lengths of polygons in Euclidean buildings are studied in the related paper [KLM2]. Applications of the geomet- ric results in both papers to algebraic group theory are given in[KLM3].

Suppose L is a lamination of a Riemannian manifold by hypersurfaces with the same constant mean curvature H. We prove that every limit leaf of L is stable for the Jacobi operator. A simple but important consequence of this result is that the set of stable leaves of L has the structure of a lamination.