Let $ f : \sum_1 \to \sum_2$ be a map between compact Riemannian manifolds of constant curvature. This article considers the evolution of the graph of f in $\sum_1 \times \sum_2$2 by the mean curvature flow. Under suitable conditions on the curvature of $\sum_1$ and $\sum_2$ and the differential of the initial map, we show that the flow exists smoothly for all time. At each instant $t$, the flow remains the graph of a map $f_t$ and $f_t$ converges to a constant map as $t$ approaches infinity. This also provides a regularity estimate for Lipschtz initial data.

1. Statement of results Let Mn be a compact manifold of dimension n endowed with a Riemannian metric. The spectrum of the Laplacian,, acting on functions form a discrete set of the form {0< 1 2 k}. In 1970, Joseph Hersch [5] gave a sharp upper bound for the first non-zero eigenvalue 1 for any Riemannian metric on the 2-sphere in terms of its volume alone. Similar estimates for 1 on any compact oriented surfaces were derived by Yang-Yau [7]. The second and the third authors [6] studied the nonorientable surfaces and pointed out the relationship of 1 and the conformal class of the surface. In fact, their estimates were applied to study the Willmore problem. Another application of these types of upper bounds was found by Choi-Schoen [3] in relation to the set of all minimal surfaces in a compact 3-manifold of positive Ricci curvature. The purpose of this paper is to prove a higher dimensional generalization of the above results. It was pointed out by Marcel Berger [1] that Herschs theorem fails in higher dimensional spheres. In view of the relationship between 1 and the conformal

A foliation F on a Riemannian manifold M is hyperpolar if it admits a flat section, that is, a connected closed flat submanifold of M that intersects each leaf of F orthogonally. In this article we classify the hyperpolar homogeneous foliations on every Riemannian symmetric space M of noncompact type. These foliations are constructed as follows. Let  be an orthogonal subset of a set of simple roots associated with the symmetric space M. Then  determines a horospherical decomposition M = Fs ×ErankM−||×N, where Fs  is the Riemannian product of || symmetric spaces of rank one. Every hyperpolar homogeneous foliation on M is isometrically congruent to the product of the following objects: a particular homogeneous codimension one foliation on each symmetric space of rank one in Fs , a foliation by parallel affine subspaces on the Euclidean space ErankM−||, and the horocycle subgroup N of the parabolic subgroup of the isometry group of M determined by .

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We obtain several rigidity results for biharmonic submanifolds in $\mathbb{S}^{n}$ with parallel normalized mean curvature vector fields. We classify biharmonic submanifolds in $\mathbb{S}^{n}$ with parallel normalized mean curvature vector fields and with at most two distinct principal curvatures. In particular, we determine all biharmonic surfaces with parallel normalized mean curvature vector fields in $\mathbb{S}^{n}$ .