A Bernstein problem for translating solutions to the mean curvature flow

Abstract

We study entire graphical translating solutions of the mean curvature flow, \[ \operatorname{div}\!\left(\frac{\nabla G}{\sqrt{1+|\nabla G|^2}}\right) =\frac{1}{\sqrt{1+|\nabla G|^2}} \qquad\text{in }\mathbb R^N. \] Every such graph is mean-convex, since its mean curvature is the vertical component of its unit normal. In dimension two, mean-convex translating solitons are convex, and an entire graphical translator is therefore the rotationally symmetric bowl soliton. In higher dimensions Wang constructed non-rotational entire convex translating graphs. We prove that a further loss of rigidity occurs at the Bernstein dimension: for every $N\ge 8$ there exists a one-parameter family of entire graphical translators that are mean-convex but not convex. The construction starts from the Bombieri--De Giorgi--Giusti (BDG) entire minimal graph in $\mathbb R^8$ and develops a singular perturbation theory for the translator equation around it. The main new feature is a transition layer near Simons' cone: the translating term breaks the odd symmetry of the minimal graph, and after a suitable recentering the matching problem is governed by a parabolic inner equation. A detailed analysis of this layer, together with weighted Jacobi theory on the BDG graph and global barriers, yields the desired entire solutions.