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# Constructing special Lagrangian 𝑚-folds in ℂ^𝑚 by evolving quadrics

## 1 Introduction

This is the second in a series of papers constructing explicit examples of special Lagrangian submanifolds (SL $`m`$-folds) in $`^m`$. The first paper of the series  studied SL $`m`$-folds with large symmetry groups, and subsequent papers  construct examples of SL 3-folds in $`^3`$ using evolution equations, symmetries, ruled submanifolds and integrable systems.

The principal motivation for these papers is to lay the foundations for a study of the singularities of compact special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds, particularly in low dimensions such as $`m=3`$. Special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$, and especially special Lagrangian cones, should provide local models for singularities of SL $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds.

Understanding such singularities will be essential in making rigorous the explanation of Mirror Symmetry of Calabi–Yau 3-folds $`X,\widehat{X}`$ proposed by Strominger, Yau and Zaslow , which involves dual ‘fibrations’ of $`X,\widehat{X}`$ by special Lagrangian 3-tori, with some singular fibres. It will also be important in resolving conjectures made by the author , which attempt to define an invariant of Calabi–Yau 3-folds by counting special Lagrangian homology 3-spheres.

The paper falls into three parts. The first, this section and §2, is introductory. The second part, §3–§4, describes a general construction of special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$, depending on a set of evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$, where $`P`$ is an $`(m1)`$-submanifold in $`^n`$. Then $`N`$ is the subset of $`^m`$ swept out by the image of $`P`$ under a 1-parameter family of linear or affine maps $`\varphi _t:^n^m`$, which satisfy a first-order, nonlinear o.d.e. in $`t`$.

Examples of sets of evolution data will be given in §4, together with some progress towards a classification of such data. The simplest interesting sets of evolution data occur when $`n=m`$ and $`P`$ is a nondegenerate quadric in $`^m`$. In the third part, §5–§7, we apply the construction to these examples.

In this case $`\varphi _t(^m)`$ must be a Lagrangian plane in $`^m`$ for each $`t`$. Thus $`N`$ is fibred by quadrics in Lagrangian planes $`^m`$ in $`^m`$. The construction of §3–§4 will also be used in the sequel to this paper , with different evolution data, to construct families of SL 3-folds in $`^3`$.

The construction has both a linear and an affine version. In the linear version we begin with a centred quadric $`Q`$ in $`^m`$, such as an ellipsoid or a hyperboloid, and evolve its image under linear maps $`\varphi _t:^m^m`$. This will be studied in §5 for $`^m`$, and in more detail when $`m=3`$ in §6. In the affine version we begin with a non-centred quadric $`Q`$ in $`^m`$, such as a paraboloid, and evolve its image under affine maps $`\varphi _t:^m^m`$. This will be studied in §7.

In some cases the family $`\{\varphi _t:t\}`$ turns out to be periodic in $`t`$. The corresponding SL $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$ are then closed, and are interesting as local models for singular behaviour of SL $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds. Section 5.5 studies the periodicity conditions, and proves our main result, Theorem 5.9, on the existence of large families of SL $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$ with interesting topology, including cones on $`𝒮^a\times 𝒮^b\times 𝒮^1`$ for $`a+b=m2`$. When $`m=3`$ this gives many new examples of SL $`T^2`$-cones in $`^3`$, which are discussed in §6.

In contrast to the manifolds of , the SL $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ that we construct generically have only finite symmetry groups. However, we shall show in §4.3 that every set of evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ actually admits a large symmetry group $`G`$, which is locally transitive on $`P`$. This ‘internal symmetry group’ does act on $`N`$, but not by automorphisms of $`^m`$. So we can think of the construction as embodying a symmetry assumption, but not of the most obvious kind.

Some of the SL $`m`$-folds we construct (those in §5 from evolving ellipsoids) are already known, having been found by Lawlor  and completed by Harvey \[4, p. 139–143\]. But as far as the author knows, the other examples are new. The SL $`T^2`$-cones in $`^3`$ are related to integrable systems results on harmonic tori in $`^m`$. We discuss the connection in §6.2.

Acknowledgements: The author would like to thank Nigel Hitchin, Mark Haskins, Karen Uhlenbeck, Ian McIntosh, Robert Bryant and Chuu-Lian Terng for helpful conversations.

## 2 Special Lagrangian submanifolds in $`^m`$

We begin by defining calibrations and calibrated submanifolds, following Harvey and Lawson .

Definition 2.1  Let $`(M,g)`$ be a Riemannian manifold. An oriented tangent $`k`$-plane $`V`$ on $`M`$ is a vector subspace $`V`$ of some tangent space $`T_xM`$ to $`M`$ with $`dimV=k`$, equipped with an orientation. If $`V`$ is an oriented tangent $`k`$-plane on $`M`$ then $`g|_V`$ is a Euclidean metric on $`V`$, so combining $`g|_V`$ with the orientation on $`V`$ gives a natural volume form $`vol_V`$ on $`V`$, which is a $`k`$-form on $`V`$.

Now let $`\phi `$ be a closed $`k`$-form on $`M`$. We say that $`\phi `$ is a calibration on $`M`$ if for every oriented $`k`$-plane $`V`$ on $`M`$ we have $`\phi |_Vvol_V`$. Here $`\phi |_V=\alpha vol_V`$ for some $`\alpha `$, and $`\phi |_Vvol_V`$ if $`\alpha 1`$. Let $`N`$ be an oriented submanifold of $`M`$ with dimension $`k`$. Then each tangent space $`T_xN`$ for $`xN`$ is an oriented tangent $`k`$-plane. We say that $`N`$ is a calibrated submanifold if $`\phi |_{T_xN}=vol_{T_xN}`$ for all $`xN`$.

It is easy to show that calibrated submanifolds are automatically minimal submanifolds \[5, Th. II.4.2\]. Here is the definition of special Lagrangian submanifolds in $`^m`$, taken from \[5, §III\].

Definition 2.2  Let $`^m`$ have complex coordinates $`(z_1,\mathrm{},z_m)`$, and define a metric $`g`$, a real 2-form $`\omega `$ and a complex $`m`$-form $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ on $`^m`$ by

$`g=|\mathrm{d}z_1|^2+\mathrm{}+|\mathrm{d}z_m|^2,\omega `$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{i}{2}}(\mathrm{d}z_1\mathrm{d}\overline{z}_1+\mathrm{}+\mathrm{d}z_m\mathrm{d}\overline{z}_m),`$
$`\text{and}\mathrm{\Omega }`$ $`=\mathrm{d}z_1\mathrm{}\mathrm{d}z_m.`$
Then $`Re\mathrm{\Omega }`$ and $`Im\mathrm{\Omega }`$ are real $`m`$-forms on $`^m`$. Let $`L`$ be an oriented real submanifold of $`^m`$ of real dimension $`m`$, and let $`\theta [0,2\pi )`$. We say that $`L`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold of $`^m`$ if $`L`$ is calibrated with respect to $`Re\mathrm{\Omega }`$, in the sense of Definition 2. We will often abbreviate ‘special Lagrangian’ by ‘SL’, and ‘$`m`$-dimensional submanifold’ by ‘$`m`$-fold’, so that we shall talk about SL $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$.

As in  there is also a more general definition of special Lagrangian submanifolds involving a phase $`\mathrm{e}^{i\theta }`$, but we will not use it in this paper. Harvey and Lawson \[5, Cor. III.1.11\] give the following alternative characterization of special Lagrangian submanifolds.

###### Proposition 2.3

Let $`L`$ be a real $`m`$-dimensional submanifold of $`^m`$. Then $`L`$ admits an orientation making it into an SL submanifold of $`^m`$ if and only if $`\omega |_L0`$ and $`Im\mathrm{\Omega }|_L0`$.

Note that an $`m`$-dimensional submanifold $`L`$ in $`^m`$ is called Lagrangian if $`\omega |_L0`$. Thus special Lagrangian submanifolds are Lagrangian submanifolds satisfying the extra condition that $`Im\mathrm{\Omega }|_L0`$, which is how they get their name.

## 3 SL $`m`$-folds from evolution equations

The construction of special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds we shall study in this paper is based on the following theorem, which was proved in \[7, Th. 3.3\].

###### Theorem 3.1

Let $`P`$ be a compact, orientable, real analytic $`(m1)`$-manifold, $`\chi `$ a real analytic, nonvanishing section of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}TP`$, and $`\varphi :P^m`$ a real analytic embedding (immersion) such that $`\varphi ^{}(\omega )0`$ on $`P`$. Then there exists $`ϵ>0`$ and a unique family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ of real analytic maps $`\varphi _t:P^m`$ with $`\varphi _0=\varphi `$, satisfying the equation

$$\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}\varphi _t}{\mathrm{d}t}\right)^b=(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi )^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}}(Re\mathrm{\Omega })_{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}a_m}g^{a_mb},$$
(1)
using the index notation for (real) tensors on $`^m`$. Define $`\mathrm{\Phi }:(ϵ,ϵ)\times P^m`$ by $`\mathrm{\Phi }(t,p)=\varphi _t(p)`$. Then $`N=Im\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is a nonsingular embedded (immersed) special Lagrangian submanifold of $`^m`$.

The proof relies on a result of Harvey and Lawson \[5, Th. III.5.5\], which says that if $`P`$ is a real analytic $`(m1)`$-submanifold of $`^m`$ with $`\omega |_P0`$, then there is a locally unique SL submanifold $`N`$ containing $`P`$. They assume $`P`$ is real analytic as their proof uses Cartan–Kähler theory, which works only in the real analytic category. But this is no loss, as by \[5, Th. III.2.7\] all nonsingular SL $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$ are real analytic.

We interpret equation (1) as an evolution equation for (compact) real analytic $`(m1)`$-submanifolds $`\varphi (P)`$ of $`^m`$ with $`\omega |_{\varphi (P)}0`$, and think of the variable $`t`$ as time. The theorem says that given such a submanifold $`\varphi (P)`$, there is a 1-parameter family of diffeomorphic submanifolds $`\varphi _t(P)`$ satisfying a first-order o.d.e., with $`\varphi _0(P)=\varphi (P)`$, that sweep out an SL $`m`$-fold in $`^m`$.

The condition that $`P`$ be compact is not always necessary in Theorem 3.1. Whether $`P`$ is compact or not, in a small neighbourhood of any $`pP`$ the maps $`\varphi _t`$ always exist for $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$ and some $`ϵ>0`$, which may depend on $`p`$. If $`P`$ is compact we can choose an $`ϵ>0`$ valid for all $`p`$, but if $`P`$ is noncompact there may not exist such an $`ϵ`$. If $`P`$ is not compact but we know for other reasons that there exists a family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ satisfying (1) and $`\varphi _0=\varphi `$, then the conclusions of the theorem still hold.

Now Theorem 3.1 should be thought of as an infinite-dimensional evolution problem, since the evolution takes place in an infinite-dimensional family of real analytic $`(m1)`$-submanifolds. This makes the o.d.e. difficult to solve explicitly, so that the theorem, in its current form, is unsuitable for constructing explicit SL $`m`$-folds. However, there is a method to reduce it to a finite-dimensional evolution problem.

Suppose we can find a special class $`𝒞`$ of real analytic $`(m1)`$-submanifolds $`P`$ of $`^m`$ with $`\omega |_P0`$, depending on finitely many real parameters $`c_1,\mathrm{},c_n`$, such that the evolution equation (1) stays within the class $`𝒞`$. Then (1) reduces to a first order o.d.e. on $`c_1,\mathrm{},c_n`$, as functions of $`t`$. Thus we have reduced the infinite-dimensional problem of evolving submanifolds in $`^m`$ to a finite-dimensional o.d.e., which we may be able to solve explicitly.

This method was used in , where $`𝒞`$ was a set of $`(m1)`$-dimensional group orbits. We now present a more advanced construction based on the same idea, in which $`𝒞`$ consists of the images of an $`(m1)`$-submanifold $`P`$ in $`^n`$ under linear or affine maps $`^n^m`$. We describe the linear case first.

Definition 3.2  Let $`2mn`$ be integers. A set of linear evolution data is a pair $`(P,\chi )`$, where $`P`$ is an $`(m1)`$-dimensional submanifold of $`^n`$, and $`\chi :^n\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^n`$ is a linear map, such that $`\chi (p)`$ is a nonzero element of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}TP`$ in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^n`$ for each nonsingular point $`pP`$. We suppose also that $`P`$ is not contained in any proper vector subspace $`^k`$ of $`^n`$.

Let $`Hom(^n,^m)`$ be the real vector space of linear maps $`\varphi :^n^m`$, and define $`𝒞_P`$ to be the subset of $`\varphi Hom(^n,^m)`$ such that

* $`\varphi ^{}(\omega )|_P0`$, and
* $`\varphi |_{T_pP}:T_pP^m`$ is injective for all $`p`$ in a dense open subset of $`P`$.

If $`\varphi Hom(^n,^m)`$ then (i) holds if and only if $`\varphi ^{}(\omega )V_P`$, where $`V_P`$ is the vector subspace of elements of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^2(^n)^{}`$ which restrict to zero on $`P`$. This is a quadratic condition on $`\varphi `$. Also (ii) is an open condition on $`\varphi `$. Thus $`𝒞_P`$ is an open set in the intersection of a finite number of quadrics in $`Hom(^n,^m)`$. Let $`^m`$ be a Lagrangian plane in $`^m`$. Then any linear map $`\varphi :^n^m`$ satisfies (i), and generic linear maps $`\varphi :^n^m`$ satisfy (ii). Hence $`𝒞_P`$ is nonempty.

Note that the requirement that $`\chi `$ be both linear in $`^n`$ and tangent to $`P`$ at every point is a very strong condition on $`P`$ and $`\chi `$. Thus sets of linear evolution data are quite rigid things, and not that easy to construct. We will give some examples in §4. First we show how to construct SL $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$ using linear evolution data.

###### Theorem 3.3

Let $`(P,\chi )`$ be a set of linear evolution data, and use the notation above. Suppose $`\varphi 𝒞_P`$. Then there exists $`ϵ>0`$ and a unique real analytic family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ in $`𝒞_P`$ with $`\varphi _0=\varphi `$, satisfying the equation

$$\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}\varphi _t}{\mathrm{d}t}(x)\right)^b=(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi (x))^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}}(Re\mathrm{\Omega })_{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}a_m}g^{a_mb}$$
(2)
for all $`x^n`$, using the index notation for tensors in $`^m`$. Furthermore, $`N=\{\varphi _t(p):t(ϵ,ϵ)`$, $`pP\}`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^m`$ wherever it is nonsingular.

Before we prove the theorem, here are some remarks about it. Equation (2) is a first-order o.d.e. upon $`\varphi _t`$, and should be compared with equation (1) of Theorem 3.1. The key point to note is that as $`\chi `$ is linear, the right hand side of (2) is linear in $`x`$, and so (2) makes sense as an evolution equation for linear maps $`\varphi _t`$. However, the right hand side of (2) is a homogeneous polynomial of order $`m1`$ in $`\varphi _t`$, so for $`m>2`$ it is a nonlinear o.d.e.

Also observe that (2) works for $`\varphi _t`$ in $`Hom(^n,^m)`$, and not just $`𝒞_P`$. If the evolution starts in $`𝒞_P`$, then it stays in $`𝒞_P`$ for small $`t`$. But it can be helpful to think of the evolution as happening in $`Hom(^n,^m)`$ rather than in $`𝒞_P`$, because $`𝒞_P`$ may be singular, but $`Hom(^n,^m)`$ is nonsingular. Thus, we do not run into problems when the evolution hits a singular point of $`𝒞_P`$.

Proof of Theorem 3.3 As above, equation (2) is a well-defined, first-order o.d.e. upon $`\varphi _t`$ in $`Hom(^n,^m)`$ of the form $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\varphi _t}{\mathrm{d}t}=Q(\varphi _t)`$, where $`Q:Hom(^n,^m)Hom(^n,^m)`$ is a homogeneous polynomial of degree $`m1`$. The existence for some $`ϵ>0`$ of a unique, real analytic solution $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ in $`Hom(^n,^m)`$ with initial value $`\varphi _0=\varphi `$ follows easily from standard results on ordinary differential equations.

The rest of the proof follows that of Theorem 3.1, given in \[7, Th. 3.3\], with small modifications. The compactness of $`P`$ in Theorem 3.1 was used only to prove existence of the family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$, which we have already established, so we don’t need to suppose $`P`$ is compact. The evolution equation (1) in Theorem 3.1 is exactly the restriction of (2) from $`^n`$ to $`P`$. Thus the proof in Theorem 3.1 that $`N`$ is special Lagrangian also applies here, wherever $`N`$ is nonsingular.

It remains only to show that $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ lies in $`𝒞_P`$, rather than just in $`Hom(^n,^m)`$. Now $`\omega |_N0`$ as $`N`$ is special Lagrangian, and this implies that $`\varphi _t^{}(\omega )|_P0`$ for $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$. So part (i) of Definition 3.1 holds for $`\varphi _t`$. But part (ii) is an open condition, and it holds for $`\varphi _0=\varphi `$ as $`\varphi 𝒞_P`$. Thus, making $`ϵ>0`$ smaller if necessary, we see that $`\varphi _t𝒞_P`$ for all $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$. $`\mathrm{}`$

Next we generalize the ideas above from linear to affine (linear+constant) maps $`\varphi `$. Here are the analogues of Definition 3.1 and Theorem 3.3.

Definition 3.4  Let $`2mn`$ be integers. A set of affine evolution data is a pair $`(P,\chi )`$, where $`P`$ is an $`(m1)`$-dimensional submanifold of $`^n`$, and $`\chi :^n\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^n`$ is an affine map, such that $`\chi (p)`$ is a nonzero element of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}TP`$ in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^n`$ for each nonsingular $`pP`$. We suppose also that $`P`$ is not contained in any proper affine subspace $`^k`$ of $`^n`$.

Let $`Aff(^n,^m)`$ be the affine space of affine maps $`\varphi :^n^m`$, and define $`𝒞_P`$ to be the subset of $`\varphi Aff(^n,^m)`$ satisfying parts (i) and (ii) of Definition 3.1. Then $`𝒞_P`$ is nonempty, and is an open set in the intersection of a finite number of quadrics in $`Aff(^n,^m)`$.

###### Theorem 3.5

Let $`(P,\chi )`$ be a set of affine evolution data, and use the notation above. Suppose $`\varphi 𝒞_P`$. Then there exists $`ϵ>0`$ and a unique real analytic family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ in $`𝒞_P`$ with $`\varphi _0=\varphi `$, satisfying (2) for all $`x^n`$, using the index notation for tensors in $`^m`$. Furthermore, $`N=\{\varphi _t(p):t(ϵ,ϵ)`$, $`pP\}`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^m`$ wherever it is nonsingular.

Now the affine case in $`^n`$ can in fact be reduced to the linear case in $`^{n+1}`$, by regarding $`^n`$ as the hyperplane $`^n\times \{1\}`$ in $`^{n+1}=^n\times `$. Then any affine map $`\varphi :^n^m`$ extends to a unique linear map $`\varphi ^{}:^{n+1}^m`$. Thus Theorem 3.5 follows immediately from Theorem 3.3.

## 4 Examples of evolution data

We now give examples of sets of linear and affine evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$, in order to apply the construction of §3. We begin in §4.1 by showing that quadrics in $`^m`$ are examples of evolution data with $`m=n`$. The corresponding SL $`m`$-folds will be studied in §5–§7.

Section 4.2 gives two trivial examples of evolution data, and classifies sets of evolution data in the cases $`m=2`$ and $`m=n`$. Then §4.3 considers the symmetries of sets of evolution data, and shows that every set of evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ has a large symmetry group $`G`$ which acts locally transitively on $`P`$. Finally §4.4 discusses the classification of evolution data, and the rôle of the symmetry group.

### 4.1 Quadrics in $`^m`$ as examples of evolution data

A large class of examples of evolution data arise as quadrics in $`^m`$, with $`n=m`$.

###### Theorem 4.1

Let $`^m`$ have coordinates $`(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)`$, and for $`j=1,\mathrm{},m`$ define $`e_j^m`$ by $`x_j=1`$ and $`x_k=0`$ for $`jk`$. Let $`Q:^m`$ be a quadratic polynomial. Define $`\chi :^m\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^m`$ by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \chi (x)& =\mathrm{d}Q(x)(e_1\mathrm{}e_m)\hfill \\ & =\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}(1)^{j1}\frac{Q(x)}{x_j}e_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m.\hfill \end{array}$$
(3)
Let $`P`$ be the quadric $`\{x^n:Q(x)=c\}`$ for some $`c`$, and suppose $`P`$ is nonempty and nondegenerate.

If $`Q`$ is a homogeneous quadratic polynomial then $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of linear evolution data in the sense of Definition 3.1 with $`n=m`$, and otherwise $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of affine evolution data in the sense of Definition 3.3 with $`n=m`$.

The proof of this theorem is simple. As $`Q`$ is quadratic, $`\mathrm{d}Q`$ is linear or affine, so $`\chi (x)`$ is linear or affine in $`x`$. Since $`\chi =\mathrm{d}Q(e_1\mathrm{}e_m)`$ and $`P`$ is a level set of $`Q`$, it is clear that $`\chi `$ lies in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}TP`$ on $`P`$. We leave the details to the reader.

Here are three examples in $`^m`$, using notation as above.

Example 4.2  Let $`1am`$, and define $`P`$ and $`\chi `$ by

$`P`$ $`=\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)^m:x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=1\},`$
$`\chi `$ $`=2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m`$
$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m.`$
Then $`P`$ is nonsingular in $`^m`$, and $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of linear evolution data.

Example 4.3  Let $`m/2a<m`$, and define $`P`$ and $`\chi `$ by

$`P`$ $`=\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)^m:x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=0\},`$
$`\chi `$ $`=2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m`$
$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m.`$
Then $`P`$ is a quadric cone in $`^m`$ with an isolated singular point at 0, and $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of linear evolution data.

Example 4.4  Let $`(m1)/2am1`$, and define $`P`$ and $`\chi `$ by

$`P`$ $`=\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)^m:x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_{m1}^2+2x_m=0\},`$
$`\chi `$ $`=2(1)^{m1}e_1\mathrm{}e_{m1}+2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m`$
$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m1}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m.`$
Then $`P`$ is nonsingular in $`^m`$, and $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of affine evolution data.

The classifications of centred quadrics in $`^m`$ up to linear automorphisms, and of general quadrics in $`^m`$ up to affine automorphisms, are well known. Our construction is unchanged under linear or affine automorphisms of $`^m`$. It can be shown that all interesting sets of evolution data arising from Theorem 4.1 are isomorphic to one of the cases of Examples 4.14.1, under an affine automorphism of $`^m`$ and a rescaling of $`\chi `$.

Here we exclude quadrics admitting a translational symmetry group $`^k`$ for $`k1`$ as uninteresting, since they lead to special Lagrangian submanifolds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ with the same translational symmetry group. It then follows that $`N`$ is a product $`N^{}\times ^k`$ in $`^{mk}\times ^k`$, where $`N^{}`$ is special Lagrangian in $`^{mk}`$. Degenerate quadrics with dimension less than $`m1`$ are also excluded.

### 4.2 Two trivial constructions of evolution data

Next we consider evolution data not arising from the quadric construction above. The following two examples are rather trivial constructions of evolution data, which do not yield interesting SL $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$.

Example 4.5  Let $`n2`$, choose any nonzero linear or affine map $`\chi :^n^n`$, and let $`P`$ be any integral curve of $`\chi `$, regarded as a vector field in $`^n`$. Then $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of linear or affine evolution data with $`m=2`$. Furthermore, every set of evolution data with $`m=2`$ comes from this construction.

Thus, using the method of §3, one can construct many examples of special Lagrangian 2-folds in $`^2`$. But special Lagrangian 2-folds in $`^2`$ are equivalent to holomorphic curves with respect to an alternative complex structure, and so are anyway very easy to construct.

Example 4.6  Let $`(P,\chi )`$ be a set of evolution data in $`^n`$, with $`P`$ an $`(m1)`$-manifold, and let $`k1`$. Write $`^{n+k}=^n\times ^k`$, with coordinates $`(x_1,\mathrm{},x_n`$,$`x_{n+1},\mathrm{},x_{n+k})`$. Define

$$P^{}=P\times ^k\text{and}\chi ^{}=\chi \frac{}{x_{n+1}}\mathrm{}\frac{}{x_{n+k}}.$$

Then $`(P^{},\chi ^{})`$ is a set of evolution data in $`^{n+k}`$, with $`P^{}`$ an $`(m+k1)`$-manifold. All SL $`(m+k)`$-folds $`N^{}`$ in $`^{m+k}`$ constructed using $`(P^{},\chi ^{})`$ split as products $`N\times ^k`$ in $`^m\times ^k`$, where $`N`$ is an SL $`m`$-fold in $`^m`$ constructed using $`(P,\chi )`$.

Combining these two examples we can make (uninteresting) examples of evolution data for any $`m,n`$ with $`2mn`$. In particular, when $`n=m`$ we have:

Example 4.7  Let $`a,\mathrm{},f`$ be not all zero, and let $`\gamma `$ be an integral curve of the vector field $`(ax_1+bx_2+e)\frac{}{x_1}+(cx_1+dx_2+f)\frac{}{x_2}`$ in $`^2`$. Let $`m2`$, write $`^m=^2\times ^{m2}`$, and define $`P=\gamma \times ^{m2}`$ and

$$\chi =(ax_1+bx_2+e)\frac{}{x_1}\frac{}{x_3}\mathrm{}\frac{}{x_m}+(cx_1+dx_2+f)\frac{}{x_2}\mathrm{}\frac{}{x_m}.$$

Then $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of evolution data with $`n=m`$. If $`e=f=0`$ then it is linear, and otherwise affine.

These and the examples of §4.1 exhaust the examples with $`m=n`$.

###### Proposition 4.8

Every set of linear or affine evolution data with $`m=n`$ is isomorphic either to one of the quadric examples of §4.1, or to one constructed in Example 4.2.

Proof. Let $`(P,\chi )`$ be a set of linear or affine evolution data in $`V=^m`$, with $`m=n`$. Let $`\alpha `$ be a nonzero element of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^mV^{}`$, and define $`\beta :VV^{}`$ by $`\beta =\alpha \chi `$, where ‘$``$’ is the natural product $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^mV^{}\times \mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}VV^{}`$. Then $`\beta `$ is a linear or affine 1-form on $`V`$.

The zeros of $`\beta `$ form a distribution $`𝒟`$ of hyperplanes in $`V`$ wherever $`\beta `$ is nonzero. The curvature of $`𝒟`$ is $`(\mathrm{d}\beta )|_𝒟`$. Now clearly $`\beta |_P0`$, since $`\chi `$ is nonzero and tangent to $`P`$ at each point of $`P`$, so $`\beta `$ is nonzero along $`P`$ and $`𝒟|_P=TP`$. Therefore $`P`$ is an integral submanifold of $`𝒟`$, so the curvature of $`𝒟`$ vanishes along $`P`$.

This shows that $`\mathrm{d}\beta |_P0`$. Clearly, this is equivalent to $`\beta \mathrm{d}\beta `$ being zero along $`P`$, that is, zero in $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^3V^{}`$ rather than restricted to $`P`$. But $`\beta `$ is linear or affine and $`\mathrm{d}\beta `$ is constant, so $`\beta \mathrm{d}\beta `$ is linear or affine. As $`P`$ is not contained in any proper linear or affine subspace of $`V`$ (as appropriate), we see that $`\beta \mathrm{d}\beta `$ is zero on all of $`V`$.

There are now two possibilities:

* $`\mathrm{d}\beta =0`$, or
* $`\mathrm{d}\beta =\gamma \delta `$ for linearly independent $`\gamma ,\delta V^{}`$, and $`\beta \gamma ,\delta _{}`$ at each point in $`V`$.

This is because if $`\mathrm{d}\beta `$ is nonzero and not of the form $`\gamma \delta `$, then $`\beta \mathrm{d}\beta =0`$ if and only if $`\beta =0`$, but we know $`\beta `$ is nonzero on $`P`$.

In case (a), we can write $`\beta =\mathrm{d}Q`$ for $`Q:V`$ a quadratic polynomial, which is homogeneous if $`\beta `$ is linear. Then $`Q`$ is constant along $`P`$ (assuming $`P`$ connected), so $`P`$ is a subset of $`P^{}=\{vV:Q(v)=c\}`$. Thus, case (a) is one of the quadric examples of §4.1. In case (b), we choose coordinates $`(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)`$ on $`V`$ with $`\gamma =\mathrm{d}x_1`$ and $`\delta =\mathrm{d}x_2`$, and it is then easy to show that we are in the situation of Example 4.2. $`\mathrm{}`$

### 4.3 Symmetry groups of evolution data

We shall now show that every set of evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ has a symmetry group $`G`$ which is locally transitive on $`P`$. For simplicity we work in the linear case; the corresponding result for affine evolution data may easily be obtained by replacing linear by affine actions.

###### Theorem 4.9

Let $`(P,\chi )`$ be a set of linear evolution data, with $`P`$ a connected, nonsingular $`(m1)`$-submanifold in $`^n`$. Then there exists a connected Lie subgroup $`G`$ in $`GL(n,)`$ with Lie algebra $`𝔤`$, such that $`P`$ is an open set in a $`G`$-orbit in $`^n`$, and $`\chi `$ is $`G`$-invariant. Furthermore, there is a natural, surjective, $`G`$-equivariant linear map $`L:\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m2}(^n)^{}𝔤`$.

Proof. Define a linear map $`L:\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}(^n)^{}𝔤𝔩(n,)`$ by $`L(\alpha )=\chi \alpha `$, where we regard $`\chi `$ as an element of $`(^n)^{}\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^n`$, and ‘$``$’ is the natural contraction $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}^n\times \mathrm{\Lambda }^{m2}(^n)^{}^n`$, so that $`\chi \alpha (^n)^{}^n=𝔤𝔩(n,)`$. Let $`𝔤`$ be the Lie subalgebra of $`𝔤𝔩(n,)`$ generated by $`ImL`$, so that $`L`$ maps $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m2}(^n)^{}𝔤`$. Let $`G`$ be the unique connected Lie subgroup of $`GL(n,)`$ with Lie algebra $`𝔤`$.

Regard elements of $`𝔤𝔩(n,)`$ as linear vector fields on $`^n`$. Then at each $`pP^n`$ we have $`L(\alpha )|_p=\chi |_p\alpha `$. Since $`\chi |_p\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}T_pP`$ by definition, we see that $`L(\alpha )|_pT_pP`$. So the vector fields $`L(\alpha )`$ are tangent to $`P`$. But the Lie bracket of two vector fields tangent to $`P`$ is also tangent to $`P`$. Hence, as $`𝔤`$ is generated from $`ImL`$ by the Lie bracket, every vector field in $`𝔤`$ is tangent to $`P`$.

Since $`P`$ is nonsingular, we have $`\chi |_p0`$ for all $`pP`$, by definition. Thus the map $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m2}(^n)^{}T_pP`$ given by $`\alpha L(\alpha )|_p`$ is surjective. So the vector fields in $`𝔤`$ span $`T_pP`$ for all $`pP`$. Therefore the action of the Lie algebra $`𝔤`$ on $`P`$ is locally transitive. It follows that $`P`$ is locally isomorphic to an orbit of $`G`$ in $`^n`$, and as $`P`$ is connected, it must be an open set in a $`G`$-orbit.

Next we prove that $`\chi `$ is $`G`$-invariant, which is not quite as obvious as it looks. Let $`1i_1<\mathrm{}<i_{m2}n`$, set $`\alpha =\mathrm{d}x_{i_1}\mathrm{}\mathrm{d}x_{i_{m2}}`$, and define $`v=L(\alpha )`$. We shall show that $`_v\chi =0`$, where $`_v`$ is the Lie derivative. First observe that $`v`$ is a linear combination of terms $`x_i\frac{}{x_j}`$ with $`ji_k`$ for $`k=1,\mathrm{},m2`$. It follows easily that $`_v\alpha =0`$. But then

$$0=_vv=_v(\chi \alpha )=(_v\chi )\alpha +\chi (_v\alpha )=(_v\chi )\alpha .$$
(4)
Now $`\chi |_P`$ is a nonvanishing section of $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}TP`$ and $`v`$ is tangent to $`P`$, we see that $`_v\chi |_P=\lambda \chi |_P`$ for some smooth function $`\lambda :P`$. As $`(_v\chi )\alpha =0`$ by (4), restricting to $`P`$ gives $`\lambda \chi \alpha =0`$ on $`P`$, that is, $`\lambda v0`$ on $`P`$. Therefore $`\lambda 0`$ or $`v0`$ on $`P`$. But if $`v0`$ then clearly $`\lambda 0`$. Thus $`_v\chi 0`$ on $`P`$.

Since $`P`$ lies in no proper vector subspace of $`^n`$, and $`_v\chi `$ is linear, this implies that $`_v\chi 0`$. This holds whenever $`v=L(\mathrm{d}x_{i_1}\mathrm{}\mathrm{d}x_{i_{m2}})`$ for $`1i_1<\mathrm{}<i_{m2}n`$. Such forms are a basis for $`\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m2}(^n)^{}`$. So $`_v\chi =0`$ for all $`vImL`$, and therefore for all $`v𝔤`$. As $`G`$ is connected, this shows that $`\chi `$ is $`G`$-invariant.

It remains to show that $`L:\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}(^n)^{}𝔤`$ is $`G`$-equivariant and surjective. The $`G`$-equivariance is now obvious, as $`\chi `$ is $`G`$-invariant. So $`ImL`$ is a $`G`$-invariant subspace of $`𝔤`$, that is, an ideal in $`𝔤`$. But then $`ImL`$ is closed under the Lie bracket. As $`ImL`$ generates $`𝔤`$ we have $`𝔤=ImL`$, and $`L`$ is surjective. $`\mathrm{}`$

As an example, consider the linear evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ given in Examples 4.1 and 4.1. In both cases $`G`$ is the identity component of $`SO(a,ma)`$. In Example 4.1, each connected component of $`P`$ is an orbit of $`G`$. In Example 4.1, $`P`$ is singular at 0, and each component of $`P\{0\}`$ is an orbit of $`G`$.

Now fix $`m=3`$. Then $`L`$ maps $`(^n)^{}𝔤`$. It can be shown that either

* $`P`$ is contained in no affine hyperplane in $`^n`$, and $`KerL=0`$; or
* There exists a nonzero linear map $`f:^n`$ such that $`P`$ is contained in the affine hyperplane $`f1`$ in $`^n`$, and $`KerL=\mathrm{d}f_{}`$.

In case (a), $`L`$ is an isomorphism, so that $`^n𝔤^{}`$. Thus, $`P`$ is an open set in $`G`$-orbit in the coadjoint representation $`𝔤^{}`$ of $`G`$, that is, $`P`$ is locally a coadjoint orbit. In case (b) we will see in \[8, §4\] that $`(^n)^{}`$ is also a Lie algebra, an extension of $`𝔤`$ by $``$, and $`P`$ is again a coadjoint orbit. Note that in case (b) $`(P,\chi )`$ reduces to a set of affine evolution data in $`^{n1}`$.

In the sequel to this paper , we will use these ideas to construct a correspondence between sets of evolution data with $`m=3`$, and symplectic 2-manifolds with a transitive, Hamiltonian symmetry group. This will enable us to write down several interesting sets of evolution data with $`m=3`$ and $`n>3`$, and study the corresponding families of SL 3-folds in $`^3`$.

### 4.4 Discussion

Let us survey what we know about of sets of evolution data so far. Evolution data depends on two integers $`m,n`$ with $`2mn`$. In §4.2 we classified all sets of evolution data with $`m=2`$ and $`m=n`$, and constructed some not very interesting examples for any $`m,n`$ with $`2mn`$. The ideas of \[8, §4\] will give us a good picture of the set of all evolution data with $`m=3`$, and could probably be developed into a classification without great difficulty.

What we lack at present is an understanding of sets of evolution data with $`3<m<n`$. We can state this as:

Problem. Find and classify examples of sets of evolution data with $`3<m<n`$, which do not arise from lower-dimensional examples via the product construction of Example 4.2.

Theorem 4.9 suggests a possible method of constructing examples. One should start with a likely-looking connected Lie group $`G`$ and a representation $`V`$ of $`G`$, and find the $`(m1)`$-dimensional orbits $`𝒪`$ of $`G`$ in $`V`$, and then look for $`G`$-invariant elements $`\chi `$ of $`V^{}\mathrm{\Lambda }^{m1}V`$ which are tangent to $`𝒪`$. Note that if $`\chi `$ is nonzero and tangent to $`𝒪`$ at one point, then it is at every point.

The case $`n=m+1`$ may also be tractable by a more direct approach. For instance, affine evolution data with $`n=m`$, which we understand, can be interpreted as linear evolution data with $`n=m+1`$.

Next we discuss the geometric meaning of Theorem 4.9. It shows that any set of evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ in $`^n`$ has a symmetry group $`G`$, acting on $`^n`$ in a locally transitive way on $`P`$ and preserving $`\chi `$. Take $`P`$ to be a $`G`$-orbit in $`^n`$, so that $`G`$ acts globally on $`P`$, rather than just locally. Let us ask, how is $`G`$ related to the special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ constructed from $`(P,\chi )`$ in §3?

As $`N`$ is naturally isomorphic to $`P\times (ϵ,ϵ)`$ or $`P\times `$, and $`G`$ acts on $`P`$, there is a natural action of $`G`$ on $`N`$. However, in general this action is not by automorphisms of $`^m`$. That is, $`N`$ is the image of $`\mathrm{\Phi }:P\times (ϵ,ϵ)^m`$ and in general there is no $`G`$-action on $`^m`$ such that $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is $`G`$-equivariant.

Nor does $`G`$ act nontrivially on the set of SL $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ constructed from $`(P,\chi )`$. Instead, we should regard $`G`$ as acting on the set of parametrizations $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ of $`N`$ constructed in §3, so that one SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ will arise from the construction with many different parametrizations $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$, related by $`G`$.

Here is another way to say this. The maps $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ were constructed as solutions of an o.d.e. (2), with initial data $`\varphi _0`$ in a set $`𝒞_P`$ given in Definitions 3.1 and 3.3. It turns out that $`G`$ acts naturally on $`𝒞_P`$, and two sets of initial data in the same $`G`$-orbit in $`𝒞_P`$ yield the same SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ in $`^m`$.

We shall use these ideas to predict the dimension of the family $`_{(P,\chi )}`$ of distinct SL $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ constructed from $`(P,\chi )`$ in §3. Suppose as above that $`P`$ is a $`G`$-orbit, and define $`G^{}`$ to be the Lie group of linear (or affine) automorphisms of $`^n`$ preserving $`P`$, and preserving $`\chi `$ up to scale. Then $`G`$ is a subgroup of $`G^{}`$, but may not be the whole thing.

For instance, in Example 4.1 $`P`$ is invariant under dilations $`𝐱t𝐱`$ in $`^m`$ for $`t>0`$, which do not lie in $`G`$ for $`t1`$, and multiply $`\chi `$ by $`t^{m2}`$. In this case $`G`$ is the identity component of $`SO(a,ma)`$, and the identity component of $`G^{}`$ is $`G\times _+`$, that is, $`G`$ together with the dilations. In  we will give other examples where $`G`$ needs to be augmented by a ‘dilation’ group, which acts in a more complex way on $`^n`$.

We construct $`N`$ from the integral curve of an o.d.e. in $`𝒞_P`$. The set of such curves has dimension $`dim𝒞_P1`$. Two curves give the same SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ if they are equivalent under the action of $`G^{}`$ on $`𝒞_P`$. Supposing that $`G^{}`$ acts locally freely on $`𝒞_P`$, we guess that $`dim_{(P,\chi )}=dim𝒞_P1dimG^{}`$.

In doing this calculation we have factored out the ‘internal’ symmetry group $`G^{}`$ of the construction, which acts on the data used in the construction, but not on the set of SL $`m`$-folds we construct. However, there still remains the ‘external’ symmetry group of automorphisms of $`^m`$, which is $`SU(m)`$ in the linear case (where the origin is a privileged point) and $`SU(m)^m`$ in the affine case.

Thus, if generic $`m`$-folds in $`_{(P,\chi )}`$ have no continuous symmetries, then the moduli space of SL $`m`$-folds up to automorphisms of $`^m`$ has dimension $`dim_{(P,\chi )}m^2+1`$ in the linear case, and $`dim_{(P,\chi )}m^22m+1`$ in the affine case. This is probably the best measure of the number of ‘interesting parameters’ in the construction, once all symmetries are taken into account.

## 5 Examples from evolving centred quadrics

We will now apply the construction of §3 to the family of sets of linear evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ defined using centred quadrics in $`^m`$ in Examples 4.1 and 4.1. In §5.1 we reduce the problem to an o.d.e. in complex functions $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_m`$ of a real variable $`t`$, and in §5.2 we rewrite the o.d.e. in terms of functions $`u,\theta `$ and $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _m`$ of $`t`$. Then in §5.3 we solve the equations explicitly, as far as we can; the solutions are written in terms of elliptic integrals.

Section 5.4 considers global properties of the solutions, and describes the resulting SL $`m`$-folds in four different cases. Finally, §5.5 considers one particularly interesting case in which the time evolution may be periodic in $`t`$, and investigates the conditions for periodicity.

It turns out that in the case that $`P`$ is a sphere $`𝒮^{m1}`$ in $`^m`$, the SL $`m`$-folds we construct have already been found using a different method by Lawlor , and completed by Harvey \[4, p. 139–143\]. Lawlor used his examples to prove the angle conjecture, a result on when the union of two $`m`$-planes in $`^n`$ is area-minimizing. The other cases of this section can also be studied using Lawlor and Harvey’s method, and may well be known to them, but the author has not found the other cases published anywhere.

Much of this section runs parallel to the construction of $`U(1)^{m2}`$-invariant special Lagrangian cones in $`^m`$ in \[7, §7\] and uses the same ideas, because the o.d.e.s involved are very similar. However, the geometric interpretations are significantly different.

### 5.1 Reduction of the problem to an o.d.e.

Let $`1am`$ and $`c`$, with $`c>0`$ if $`a=m`$, and define $`P`$ and $`\chi `$ by

$`P`$ $`=\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)^m:x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=c\},`$ (5)
$`\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \chi & =2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m\hfill \\ & 2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m,\hfill \end{array}`$ (6)
where $`e_j=\frac{}{x_j}`$. Then $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of linear evolution data. Consider linear maps $`\varphi :^m^m`$ of the form

$$\varphi :(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)(w_1x_1,\mathrm{},w_mx_m)\text{for }w_1,\mathrm{},w_m\text{ in }\{0\}\text{.}$$
(7)
Then $`\varphi `$ is injective and $`Im\varphi `$ is a Lagrangian $`m`$-plane in $`^m`$, so that $`\varphi `$ lies in the subset $`𝒞_P`$ of $`Hom(^m,^m)`$ given in Definition 3.1.

We will see that the evolution equation (2) for $`\varphi `$ in $`𝒞_P`$ preserves $`\varphi `$ of the form (7). So, consider a 1-parameter family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ given by

$$\varphi _t:(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)(w_1(t)x_1,\mathrm{},w_m(t)x_m),$$
(8)
where $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_m`$ are differentiable functions from $`(ϵ,ϵ)`$ to $`\{0\}`$. We shall rewrite (2) as a first-order o.d.e. upon $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_m`$.

Now $`(\varphi _t)_{}(e_j)=w_j\frac{}{z_j}+\overline{w}_j\frac{}{\overline{z}_j}`$. It is convenient to get rid of the $`\overline{z}_j`$ term by taking the (1,0)-component, giving $`(\varphi _t)_{}(e_j)^{(1,0)}=w_j\frac{}{z_j}`$. In the same way, from (6) the $`(m1,0)`$ component $`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi )^{(m1,0)}`$ of $`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi )`$ is

$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_1}}\mathrm{}{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_{j1}}}{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_{j+1}}}\mathrm{}{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_m}}`$
$``$ $`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_1}}\mathrm{}{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_{j1}}}{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_{j+1}}}\mathrm{}{\displaystyle \frac{}{z_m}}.`$
As $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is an $`(m,0)`$-tensor, we see that the contraction of $`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi )`$ with $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$ is the same as that of $`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi )^{(m1,0)}`$ with $`\mathrm{\Omega }`$. Hence, using the index notation for tensors on $`^m`$, we get

$`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi (x))^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}}\mathrm{\Omega }_{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}a_m}=`$
$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m(\mathrm{d}z_j)_{a_m}2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m(\mathrm{d}z_j)_{a_m}.`$
Hence

$`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi (x))^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}}\mathrm{\Omega }_{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}a_m}g^{a_mb}=`$
$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m\left({\displaystyle \frac{}{\overline{z}_j}}\right)^b2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m\left({\displaystyle \frac{}{\overline{z}_j}}\right)^b.`$
Since $`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi (x))`$ and $`g`$ are real tensors, taking real parts gives

$`(\varphi _t)_{}(\chi (x))^{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}}(Re\mathrm{\Omega })_{a_1\mathrm{}a_{m1}a_m}g^{a_mb}=`$
$`{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}x_j\overline{w}_1\mathrm{}\overline{w}_{j1}\overline{w}_{j+1}\mathrm{}\overline{w}_m\left({\displaystyle \frac{}{z_j}}\right)^b{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}x_j\overline{w}_1\mathrm{}\overline{w}_{j1}\overline{w}_{j+1}\mathrm{}\overline{w}_m\left({\displaystyle \frac{}{z_j}}\right)^b`$
$`+`$ $`{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m\left({\displaystyle \frac{}{\overline{z}_j}}\right)^b{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}x_jw_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m\left({\displaystyle \frac{}{\overline{z}_j}}\right)^b.`$
Now from (2) each side of this equation is $`\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}\varphi _t(x)}{\mathrm{d}t}\right)^b`$, which satisfies

$$\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}\varphi _t(x)}{\mathrm{d}t}\right)^b=\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}x_j\frac{\mathrm{d}w_j}{\mathrm{d}t}\left(\frac{}{z_j}\right)^b+\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}x_j\frac{\mathrm{d}\overline{w}_j}{\mathrm{d}t}\left(\frac{}{\overline{z}_j}\right)^b$$

by (8). Equating coefficients in the last two equations gives

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}w_j}{\mathrm{d}t}=\{\begin{array}{cc}\overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$

This is the first-order o.d.e. upon $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_m`$ that we seek. Applying Theorem 3.3, we have proved:

###### Theorem 5.1

Let $`1am`$ and $`c`$, with $`c>0`$ if $`a=m`$. Suppose $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_m`$ are differentiable functions $`w_j:(ϵ,ϵ)\{0\}`$ satisfying

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}w_j}{\mathrm{d}t}=\{\begin{array}{cc}\overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_m},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$
(9)
Define a subset $`N`$ of $`^m`$ by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill N=\{(w_1(t)x_1& ,\mathrm{},w_m(t)x_m):t(ϵ,ϵ),x_j,\hfill \\ & x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=c\}.\hfill \end{array}$$
(10)
Then $`N`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^m`$.

Observe that (9) agrees with \[7, eq. (8)\], with $`a_j=1`$ for $`ja`$ and $`a_j=1`$ for $`j>a`$. Thus, we can follow the analysis of \[7, §7\] to understand the solutions of (9). Furthermore, we showed in \[7, §7.6\] that \[7, eq. (8)\] is a completely integrable Hamiltonian system, and the proof also applies to (9).

### 5.2 Rewriting these equations

We now rewrite Theorem 5.1 using different variables. If $`ja`$ then (9) gives

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}|w_j|^2}{\mathrm{d}t}=w_j\frac{\mathrm{d}\overline{w}_j}{\mathrm{d}t}+\overline{w}_j\frac{\mathrm{d}w_j}{\mathrm{d}t}=w_1\mathrm{}w_m+\overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_m}=2Re(w_1\mathrm{}w_m),$$

and in the same way we get

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}|w_j|^2}{\mathrm{d}t}=\{\begin{array}{cc}2Re(w_1\mathrm{}w_m),\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ 2Re(w_1\mathrm{}w_m),\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$
(11)
Let $`\lambda `$ be a constant, to be chosen later. Define $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ by

$$\alpha _j=\{\begin{array}{cc}|w_j(0)|^2\lambda ,\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ |w_j(0)|^2+\lambda ,\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m,\hfill \end{array}$$
(12)
and a function $`u:(ϵ,ϵ)`$ by

$$u(t)=\lambda +2_0^tRe\left(w_1(s)\mathrm{}w_m(s)\right)\mathrm{d}s,$$

so that $`u(0)=\lambda `$. Then (11) gives

$$|w_j|^2=\{\begin{array}{cc}\alpha _j+u,\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \alpha _ju,\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$
(13)
Thus we may write

$$w_j(t)=\{\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _j+u(t)},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _ju(t)},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m,\hfill \end{array}$$

for differentiable functions $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _m:(ϵ,ϵ)`$.

Define

$$\theta =\theta _1+\mathrm{}+\theta _m\text{and}Q(u)=\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}(\alpha _j+u)\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}(\alpha _ju).$$

Then we see that

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}=2Re(w_1\mathrm{}w_m)=2Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{cos}\theta .$$

Furthermore, expanding out (9) shows that

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}=\{\begin{array}{cc}\frac{Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta }{\alpha _j+u},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \frac{Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta }{\alpha _ju},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$

Summing this equation from $`j=1`$ to $`m`$ gives

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta }{\mathrm{d}t}=Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta \left(\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j+u}\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _ju}\right).$$

Thus, we may rewrite Theorem 5.1 in the following way.

###### Theorem 5.2

Let $`u`$ and $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _m`$ be differentiable functions $`(ϵ,ϵ)`$ satisfying

$`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`=2Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{cos}\theta `$ (14)
$`\text{and}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`=\{\begin{array}{cc}{\displaystyle \frac{Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta }{\alpha _j+u}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ {\displaystyle \frac{Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta }{\alpha _ju}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m,\hfill \end{array}`$ (15)
where $`\theta =\theta _1+\mathrm{}+\theta _m`$, so that

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta }{\mathrm{d}t}=Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta \left(\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j+u}\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _ju}\right).$$
(16)
Suppose that $`\alpha _j+u>0`$ for $`j=1,\mathrm{},a`$ and $`\alpha _ju>0`$ for $`j=a+1,\mathrm{},m`$ and $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$. Define a subset $`N`$ of $`^m`$ to be

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill N=\left\{\right(& x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u(t)},\mathrm{},x_a\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _a(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _a+u(t)},\hfill \\ & x_{a+1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{a+1}(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _{a+1}u(t)},\mathrm{},x_m\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _m(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _mu(t)}):\hfill \\ & t(ϵ,ϵ),x_j,x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=c\}.\hfill \end{array}$$
(17)
Then $`N`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^m`$.

Now (14) and (16) give $`\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}`$ and $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta }{\mathrm{d}t}`$ as functions of $`u`$ and $`\theta `$. Dividing one by the other gives an expression for $`\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}\theta }`$, eliminating $`t`$. Suppose for the moment that $`\mathrm{sin}(\theta (0))0`$. Then separating variables gives

$$_{u(0)}^{u(t)}\left(\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j+u}\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _ju}\right)du=2_{\theta (0)}^{\theta (t)}\mathrm{cot}\theta \mathrm{d}\theta ,$$

which integrates explicitly to

$$\mathrm{log}Q(u)=2\mathrm{log}\mathrm{sin}\theta +C$$

for all $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$, for some $`C`$. Exponentiating gives $`Q(u)\mathrm{sin}^2\theta \mathrm{e}^C>0`$.

If on the other hand $`\mathrm{sin}\theta (0)=0`$ then (16) shows that $`\theta `$ is constant in $`(ϵ,ϵ)`$, so $`Q(u)\mathrm{sin}^2\theta 0`$. In both cases $`Q(u)\mathrm{sin}^2\theta `$ is constant, so its square root $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta `$ is also constant, as it is continuous. Thus we have $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta A`$ for some $`A`$.

This simplifies (15) and (16), as we can replace the factor $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta `$ by $`A`$. Also, from (14) we find that

$$\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}\right)^2=4Q(u)\mathrm{cos}^2\theta =4\left(Q(u)Q(u)\mathrm{sin}^2\theta \right)=4\left(Q(u)A^2\right).$$

Thus we have proved the following analogue of \[7, Prop. 7.3\]:

###### Proposition 5.3

In the situation of Theorem 5.2 we have

$$Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta A$$
(18)
for some $`A`$ and all $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$, and (14)(16) are equivalent to

$`\left({\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}}\right)^2`$ $`=4\left(Q(u)A^2\right),`$ (19)
$`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`=\{\begin{array}{cc}{\displaystyle \frac{A}{\alpha _j+u}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ {\displaystyle \frac{A}{\alpha _ju}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m,\hfill \end{array}`$ (20)
$`\text{and}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta }{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`=A\left({\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{\alpha _j+u}}{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{1}{\alpha _ju}}\right).`$ (21)
### 5.3 Explicit solution using elliptic integrals

Next we will write down the SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ of Theorem 5.2 in a more simple and explicit way. A nice way of doing this is to eliminate $`t`$, and write everything instead as a function of $`u`$. Now $`\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}`$ has the same sign as $`\mathrm{cos}\theta `$ by (14). Thus, if $`\mathrm{cos}\theta `$ changes sign in $`(ϵ,ϵ)`$ then we cannot write $`t`$ as a function of $`u`$, but if $`\mathrm{cos}\theta `$ has constant sign then we can.

Let us assume that $`\theta (t)(\pi /2,\pi /2)`$ for all $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$, so that $`\mathrm{cos}\theta `$ is positive. Then (19) gives $`\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}=2\sqrt{Q(u)A^2}`$, and integrating gives

$$_{u(0)}^{u(t)}\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{2\sqrt{Q(u)A^2}}=_0^tdt=t.$$

This defines $`u`$ implicitly as a function of $`t`$. From (19) and (20) we get

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}u}=\{\begin{array}{cc}\frac{A}{2(\alpha _j+u)\sqrt{Q(u)A^2}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \frac{A}{2(\alpha _ju)\sqrt{Q(u)A^2}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$

Integrating these gives expressions for $`\theta _j`$ in terms of $`u`$, and we have proved:

###### Theorem 5.4

Suppose $`\theta (t)(\pi /2,\pi /2)`$ for all $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$. Then the special Lagrangian $`m`$-fold $`N`$ of Theorem 5.2 is given explicitly by

$`N=\left\{\right(`$ $`x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u},\mathrm{},x_a\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _a(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _a+u},`$
$`x_{a+1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{a+1}(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _{a+1}u},\mathrm{},x_m\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _m(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _mu}):`$
$`u(u(ϵ),u(ϵ)),x_j,x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=c\},`$
where the functions $`\theta _j(u)`$ are given by

$$\theta _j(u)=\{\begin{array}{cc}\theta _j\left(u(0)\right)\frac{A}{2}_{u(0)}^u\frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _j+v)\sqrt{Q(v)A^2}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \theta _j\left(u(0)\right)+\frac{A}{2}_{u(0)}^u\frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _jv)\sqrt{Q(v)A^2}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$

### 5.4 A qualitative description of the solutions

We now describe the SL $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ emerging from the construction of Theorem 5.2, dividing into four cases, depending on the values of $`A`$ and $`a`$.

Case (a): $`A=0`$.

When $`A=0`$, we see from (20) that $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _m`$ are constant with $`\theta _1+\mathrm{}+\theta _m=n\pi `$ for some $`n`$, and the SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ of (17) is a subset of the special Lagrangian $`m`$-plane

$$\{(x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1},\mathrm{},x_m\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _m}):x_1,\mathrm{},x_m\}.$$

Thus the case $`A=0`$ is not very interesting. If we replace $`\theta _1`$ by $`\theta _1+\pi `$ and $`t`$ by $`t`$ then $`A`$ changes sign, but the manifold $`N`$ of (17) is unchanged. So we may assume in the remaining cases that $`A>0`$. Then it turns out that the equations behave very differently depending on whether $`a=m`$ or $`a<m`$. We consider the $`a=m`$ case first.

Case (b): $`a=m`$, $`c>0`$ and $`A>0`$.

This case has already been studied by Lawlor  and Harvey \[4, p. 139–143\], using somewhat different methods. After some changes of notation, one can show that Harvey \[4, Th. 7.78, p. 140\] is equivalent to the case $`a=m`$, $`c>0`$ of Theorem 5.4. Lawlor used his examples to prove the angle conjecture, a result on when the union of two $`m`$-planes in $`^n`$ is area-minimizing. When $`\alpha _1=\mathrm{}=\alpha _m`$, the manifolds are $`SO(m)`$-invariant, and are given in \[5, §III.3.B\].

When $`m3`$, it can be shown that equation (9) admits solutions on a bounded open interval $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$ with $`\gamma <0<\delta `$, such that $`u(t)\mathrm{}`$ as $`t\gamma _+`$ and $`t\delta _{}`$, so that the solutions cannot be extended continuously outside $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$. When $`m=2`$, solutions exist on $``$, with $`u(t)\mathrm{}`$ as $`t\pm \mathrm{}`$, so we can put ‘$`\gamma =\mathrm{}`$’ and ‘$`\delta =\mathrm{}`$’ in this case.

The SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ defined using the full solution interval $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$ is a closed, embedded special Lagrangian $`m`$-fold diffeomorphic to $`𝒮^{m1}\times `$. It is the total space of a family of ellipsoids $`P_t`$ in $`^m`$, parametrized by $`t`$. As $`t`$ approaches $`\gamma `$ or $`\delta `$ these ellipsoids go to infinity in $`^m`$, and also become more and more spherical.

At infinity, $`N`$ is asymptotic to order $`r^{1m}`$ to the union of two special Lagrangian $`m`$-planes $`^m`$ in $`^m`$ meeting at 0, and we can think of $`N`$ as a connected sum of two copies of $`^m`$. These examples are interesting because they provide local models for the creation of new SL $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds as connected sums of other SL $`m`$-folds, as in \[6, §6–§7\] when $`m=3`$.

It remains to consider the cases in which $`A>0`$ and $`1am1`$. Recall that the definition (12) of $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ depended on an arbitrary constant $`\lambda `$. It is easy to show that there exists a unique $`\lambda `$ such that $`\alpha _j>0`$ for all $`j`$, and

$$\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}=\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}.$$
(22)
Let us choose this value of $`\lambda `$.

Since $`Q(u)=|w_1|^2\mathrm{}|w_m|^2`$, and $`Q(u)A^2>0`$ as $`A>0`$, we have $`|w_j|^2>0`$ for all $`j`$. Thus, from (13) we see that $`u(t)`$ is confined to the open interval

$$(\underset{1ja}{\mathrm{min}}\alpha _j,\underset{a+1jm}{\mathrm{min}}\alpha _j)$$
(23)
for all $`t`$ for which the solution exists. It follows from (22) that $`Q^{}(0)=0`$. As the roots $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _a,\alpha _{a+1},\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ of $`Q(u)`$ are all real and none lie in (23), zero is the only turning point of $`Q`$ in the interval (23). Thus, $`Q`$ achieves its maximum in (23) at 0, and $`Q(0)=\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m`$.

But $`Q(u)A^2`$ by (18). Hence, for all $`t`$ we have

$$0<A^2Q(u)\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m.$$
(24)
In particular, this shows that $`A(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$. We shall divide into two more cases, depending on whether $`A=(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$ or $`A<(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$.

Case (c): $`1am1`$ and $`A=(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$.

In this case, (24) gives $`\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _mQ(u)\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m`$, so $`Q(u)\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m`$. It easily follows that $`u0`$, $`\mathrm{cos}\theta 0`$ and $`\mathrm{sin}\theta 1`$, so that $`\theta (2n+\frac{1}{2})\pi `$ for some $`n`$. Equation (20) then gives

$$\theta _j(t)=\{\begin{array}{cc}\theta _j(0)At/\alpha _j\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \theta _j(0)+At/\alpha _j\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$

Thus solutions exist for all $`t`$. Define

$$a_j=\{\begin{array}{cc}A/\alpha _j\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ A/\alpha _j\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m,\hfill \end{array}\text{and}y_j=\alpha _j^{1/2}x_j,j=1,\mathrm{},m.$$

Then we find that $`a_1+\mathrm{}+a_m=0`$, and $`N`$ is given by

$`\{(\mathrm{e}^{i(\theta _1(0)+a_1t)}y_1,`$ $`\mathrm{},\mathrm{e}^{i(\theta _m(0)+a_mt)}y_m):t,y_j,`$
$`a_1y_1^2+\mathrm{}+a_my_m^2=Ac\}.`$
Now apart from the constant phase factors $`\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j(0)}`$, this is one of the SL $`m`$-folds constructed in \[7, Prop. 9.3\] using the ‘perpendicular symmetry’ idea of \[7, §9\], with $`n=m`$ and $`G=U(1)`$ or $``$. When $`a_1,\mathrm{},a_m`$ are integers, this example is discussed in \[7, Ex. 9.4\].

Case (d): $`1am1`$ and $`0<A<(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$.

This is very similar to case (c) of \[7, §7\], and following the proof of \[7, Prop. 7.11\] we can show:

###### Proposition 5.5

Suppose $`1am1`$, and $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ satisfy $`\alpha _j>0`$ and (22). Let $`u(0)`$ and $`\theta _1(0),\mathrm{},\theta _m(0)`$ be given, such that $`\alpha _j+u(0)>0`$ for $`j=1,\mathrm{},a`$ and $`\alpha _ju(0)>0`$ for $`j=a+1,\mathrm{},m`$, and

$$0<A=Q(u(0))^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta (0)<(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2},$$

where $`\theta (0)=\theta _1(0)+\mathrm{}+\theta _m(0)`$. Then there exist unique solutions $`u(t)`$, $`\theta _j(t)`$ and $`\theta (t)`$ to equations (14)(16) of Theorem 5.2 for all $`t`$, with these values at $`t=0`$. Furthermore $`u`$ and $`\theta `$ are nonconstant and periodic with period $`T>0`$, and there exist $`\beta _1,\mathrm{}\beta _m`$ with $`\beta _j<0`$ when $`j=1,\mathrm{},a`$ and $`\beta _j>0`$ when $`j=a+1,\mathrm{},m`$ and $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$, such that $`\theta _j(t+T)=\theta _j(t)+\beta _j`$ for $`j=1,\mathrm{},m`$ and all $`t`$.

Here solutions $`u,\theta `$ to equations (14) and (16) are periodic with period $`T`$, just as in \[7, §7.5\]. Therefore $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}`$ is periodic with period $`T`$ by (15), which implies that $`\theta _j(t+T)=\theta _j(t)+\beta _j`$ for some $`\beta _j`$. But $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}<0`$ for $`ja`$ and $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}>0`$ for $`j>a`$ by (20), so that $`\beta _j<0`$ when $`ja`$ and $`\beta _j>0`$ when $`j>a`$. Also $`\theta =\theta _1+\mathrm{}+\theta _m`$, so that $`\theta (t+T)=\theta (t)+\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m`$. As $`\theta `$ is periodic with period $`T`$, we see that $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$.

What this means is that when $`t`$ goes through one cycle of length $`T`$, the complex coordinates $`z_1,\mathrm{},z_m`$ don’t return to their starting points, but instead are taken to $`\mathrm{e}^{i\beta _1}z_1,\mathrm{},\mathrm{e}^{i\beta _m}z_m`$.

### 5.5 Periodic solutions in case (d)

We have seen that in case (d) above, $`u`$ and $`\theta `$ are periodic functions with period $`T`$, but $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _m`$ are not periodic, and satisfy $`\theta _j(t+T)=\theta _j(t)+\beta _j`$ for $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$ real numbers with $`\beta _j<0`$ if $`ja`$ and $`\beta _j>0`$ if $`j>a`$. But $`N`$ in (17) depends only on $`\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j}`$ rather than on $`\theta _j`$, so that $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _m`$ matter only up to multiples of $`2\pi `$.

Thus, if $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$ are integer multiples of $`2\pi `$, then the evolution defining $`N`$ repeats after time $`T`$. Actually it’s enough for $`\beta _j`$ to be multiples of $`\pi `$, as we can change the sign of $`x_j`$ in (17). More generally, if $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$ are rational multiples of $`\pi `$, then the evolution repeats after time $`nT`$, where $`n>0`$ is the lowest common multiple of the denominators of the rational factors.

For our later applications, these periodic solutions are more interesting than the non-periodic ones, because they give rise to closed special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$ that can be local models for singularities of special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau manifolds. But the non-periodic solutions are not closed in $`^m`$, and are not suitable as local models in the same way.

Therefore we will study the dependence of the $`\beta _j`$ upon the initial data. It is easy to see that $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$ depend only on $`a,m`$, $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ and $`A`$, and not on $`u(0)`$ or $`\theta _1(0),\mathrm{},\theta _m(0)`$. Also, from above the $`\alpha _j`$ and $`A`$ satisfy

$$\alpha _j>0,\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}=\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}\text{and}0<A<(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}.$$
(25)
Given any $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ and $`A`$ satisfying these conditions, there exists a set of initial data $`u(0),\theta _1(0),\mathrm{},\theta _m(0)`$ with these values. For instance, we can fix $`u(0)=0`$, and then take any $`\theta _1(0),\mathrm{},\theta _m(0)`$ such that $`\mathrm{sin}\theta (0)=A(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$.

Consider what happens to the data when we rescale $`N`$ by a constant factor $`\kappa >0`$. Calculation shows that we should replace $`u,\theta _j,\alpha _j`$ and $`A`$ by $`u^{},\theta _j^{},\alpha _j^{}`$ and $`A^{}`$, where

$$u^{}(t)=\kappa ^2u\left(\kappa ^{m2}t\right),\theta _j^{}(t)=\theta _j\left(\kappa ^{m2}t\right),\alpha _j^{}=\kappa ^2\alpha _j\text{and}A^{}=\kappa ^mA.$$

These give new solutions to the equations with period $`T^{}=\kappa ^{2m}T`$, and unchanged values of $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$. The corresponding SL $`m`$-fold $`N^{}`$ is $`\kappa N=\{\kappa 𝐳:𝐳N\}`$.

We can now do a parameter count. Since $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$, there are only $`m1`$ independent $`\beta _j`$. These depend on the $`m+1`$ variables $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ and $`A`$, which satisfy one equation $`_{j=1}^a\frac{1}{\alpha _j}=_{j=a+1}^m\frac{1}{\alpha _j}`$. Thus, the $`\beta _j`$ can be regarded as $`m1`$ functions of $`m`$ variables. However, rescaling by $`\kappa `$ leaves the $`\beta _j`$ unchanged, but removes one degree of freedom from the $`\alpha _j`$ and $`A`$.

Thus, in the initial data $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ and $`A`$ there are only $`m1`$ interesting degrees of freedom, and there are $`m1`$ independent $`\beta _j`$ depending on them. The obvious conjecture is that these two sets of $`m1`$ parameters correspond, and that the map from sets of $`\alpha _j`$ and $`A`$ satisfying (25) and sets of $`\beta _j`$ satisfying $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$ is generically locally surjective, and locally injective modulo rescaling by $`\kappa >0`$ as above. In our next few results we shall show that this is true.

In the following proposition, modelled on \[7, Prop. 7.13\], we regard the $`\alpha _j`$ as fixed, and evaluate the limits of the $`\beta _j`$ as $`A0`$ and $`A(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$. For simplicity we order the $`\alpha _j`$ so that $`\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _a`$ and $`\alpha _{a+1}\mathrm{}\alpha _m`$.

###### Proposition 5.6

Suppose $`1a<m`$ and $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m>0`$ satisfy

$$\begin{array}{c}\alpha _1=\mathrm{}=\alpha _k<\alpha _{k+1}\mathrm{}\alpha _a,\\ \alpha _{a+1}\mathrm{}\alpha _{ml}<\alpha _{ml+1}=\mathrm{}=\alpha _m\text{and}\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}=\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}.\end{array}$$
(26)
Regarding $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ as fixed and letting $`A`$ vary in $`(0,(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2})`$, we find that as $`A0`$, we have

$`\beta _j\{\begin{array}{cc}{\displaystyle \frac{\pi }{k}},\hfill & 1jk,\hfill \\ 0,\hfill & k<jml,\hfill \\ {\displaystyle \frac{\pi }{l}},\hfill & ml<jm,\hfill \end{array}`$ (27)
and as $`A(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$, we have
$`\beta _j\{\begin{array}{cc}2\pi \alpha _j^1\left(2_{i=1}^m\alpha _i^2\right)^{1/2},\hfill & 1ja,\hfill \\ 2\pi \alpha _j^1\left(2_{i=1}^m\alpha _i^2\right)^{1/2},\hfill & a+1jm.\hfill \end{array}`$ (28)
Proof. Let $`\gamma ,\delta `$ be the minimum and maximum values of $`u`$. Then $`\alpha _1<\gamma <0<\delta <\alpha _m`$ and $`Q(\gamma )=Q(\delta )=A^2`$, and using the ideas of §5.3 we find that

$$\beta _j=\{\begin{array}{cc}_\gamma ^\delta \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _j+v)\sqrt{A^2Q(v)1}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ _\gamma ^\delta \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _jv)\sqrt{A^2Q(v)1}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m.\hfill \end{array}$$
(29)
As $`A0`$ we have $`\gamma \alpha _1`$ and $`\delta \alpha _m`$. Also, the factors $`(A^2Q(v)1)^{1/2}`$ in (29) tend to zero, except near $`\gamma `$ and $`\delta `$. Hence, as $`A0`$, the integrands in (29) get large near $`\gamma \alpha _1`$ and $`\delta \alpha _m`$, and very close to zero in between.

So to understand the $`\beta _j`$ as $`A0`$, it is enough to study the integrals (29) near $`\gamma `$ and $`\delta `$. We shall model them at $`\gamma `$. Then near $`v=\alpha _1`$ we have

$$Q(v)C(v+\alpha _1)^k,\text{where}C=\underset{i=k+1}{\overset{a}{}}(\alpha _i\alpha _1)\underset{i=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}(\alpha _i+\alpha _1).$$

Since $`A^2=Q(\gamma )`$ this gives $`A^2C(\gamma +\alpha _1)^k`$, so that $`\gamma A^{2/k}C^{1/k}\alpha _1`$.

Therefore, when $`v\gamma `$ we have $`A^2Q(v)1A^2C(v+\alpha _1)^k1`$, so when $`A`$ is small and $`j=1,\mathrm{},k`$ we have

$`{\displaystyle _\gamma ^0}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _j+v)\sqrt{A^2Q(v)1}}}`$ $`{\displaystyle _{A^{2/k}C^{1/k}\alpha _1}^0}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _1+v)\sqrt{A^2C(v+\alpha _1)^k1}}}`$
$`{\displaystyle _0^{\mathrm{}}}{\displaystyle \frac{2\mathrm{d}w}{k(w^2+1)}}={\displaystyle \frac{\pi }{k}},`$
changing variables to $`w=\sqrt{A^2C(v+\alpha _1)^k1}`$, where in the second line some surprising cancellations happen, and we have also approximated the upper limit $`\sqrt{A^2C\alpha _1^k1}`$ by $`\mathrm{}`$.

When $`k+1ja`$ and $`A`$ is small we have

$$_\gamma ^0\frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _j+v)\sqrt{A^2Q(v)1}}_{A^{2/k}C^{1/k}\alpha _1}^0\frac{\mathrm{d}v}{\alpha _j\sqrt{A^2C(v+\alpha _1)^k1}}0,$$

and similarly when $`a+1jm`$ and $`A`$ is small we have

$$_\gamma ^0\frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _jv)\sqrt{A^2Q(v)1}}0.$$

So on $`[\gamma ,0]`$ the integrals (29) are close to $`\pi /k`$ for $`1jk`$ and 0 for $`j>k`$ for small $`A`$. In the same way, on $`[0,\delta ]`$ the integrals (29) are close to $`\pi /l`$ for $`ml<jm`$ and 0 for $`jml`$ for small $`A`$. This proves (27).

Next consider the behaviour of $`\beta _j`$ as $`A(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$. When $`A`$ is close to $`(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}`$, $`u`$ is small and $`\mathrm{sin}\theta `$ close to 1, so $`\theta `$ remains close to $`\pi /2`$. Write $`\theta =\frac{\pi }{2}+\varphi `$, for $`\varphi `$ small. Then, setting $`Q(u)\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m`$ and

$$\mathrm{cos}\theta \varphi ,\mathrm{sin}\theta 1\text{and}\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j+u}\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _ju}u\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\alpha _j^2,$$

taking only the highest order terms, equations (14) and (16) become

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}2(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}\varphi \text{and}\frac{\mathrm{d}\varphi }{\mathrm{d}t}u(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}\underset{j=1}{\overset{m}{}}\alpha _j^2,$$

so that $`u`$ and $`\theta `$ undergo approximately simple harmonic oscillations with period $`T=2\pi \left(2\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m_{j=1}^m\alpha _j^2\right)^{1/2}`$. Then (15) shows that

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}\{\begin{array}{cc}\alpha _j^1(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2},\hfill & 1ja,\hfill \\ \alpha _j^1(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2},\hfill & a+1jm.\hfill \end{array}$$

So $`\beta _j\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}T`$, as $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}`$ is approximately constant. This proves (28). $`\mathrm{}`$

We can use these limits to show that the map $`𝜷`$ from $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m,A`$ to $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$ with $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$ is generically locally surjective.

###### Proposition 5.7

Regard $`𝛃=(\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m)`$ as a function of $`(\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m,A)`$. Then $`𝛃`$ is a real analytic map from $`U`$ to $`V`$, where

$$U=\{(\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _m,A):\alpha _j>0,\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j}=\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j},\mathrm{\hspace{0.33em}\hspace{0.25em}0}<A<(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _m)^{1/2}\}$$

$$\text{and}V=\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)(\mathrm{},0)^a\times (0,\mathrm{})^{ma}:x_1+\mathrm{}+x_m=0\}.$$

When $`m=2`$ we have $`𝛃(u)=(\pi ,\pi )`$ for all $`uU`$. When $`m3`$, the image $`𝛃(U)`$ is $`(m1)`$-dimensional, and for a dense open subset of $`uU`$ the derivative $`\mathrm{d}𝛃|_u:^{m+1}\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)^m:x_1+\mathrm{}+x_m=0\}`$ is surjective.

Proof. From §5.4 we know that $`\beta _j<0`$ when $`ja`$ and $`\beta _j>0`$ when $`j>a`$, and $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$, so that $`𝜷`$ does map $`U`$ to $`V`$. As $`A,\gamma `$ and $`\delta `$ are clearly real analytic functions of the $`\alpha _j`$ and $`A`$, we see from (29) that $`𝜷`$ is real analytic.

When $`m=2`$ we must have $`a=1`$, and going back to Theorem 5.1 we see that the equations on $`w_1,w_2`$ are $`\frac{\mathrm{d}w_1}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w}_2`$ and $`\frac{\mathrm{d}w_2}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w}_1`$, which are real linear, and admit simple harmonic solutions with period $`2\pi `$ for any nonzero initial data. Translating this into the notation of Theorem 5.2, we find that $`u`$ and $`\theta `$ have period $`\pi `$ and $`\beta _1=\pi `$, $`\beta _2=\pi `$ for any initial data in $`U`$.

Now the limits of $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m`$ in (28) satisfy $`_{j=1}^m\beta _j^2=2\pi ^2`$. Thus, from (28) we see that the closure $`\overline{𝜷(U)}`$ contains a nonempty open subset of the $`(m2)`$-dimensional real hypersurface $`_{j=1}^mx_j^2=2\pi ^2`$ in $`V`$. This implies that $`𝜷(U)`$ is at least $`(m2)`$-dimensional.

Since $`𝜷`$ is real analytic and $`U`$ is connected, there are only two possibilities:

* $`𝜷(U)`$ is $`(m1)`$-dimensional, or
* $`𝜷(U)`$ lies in the real hypersurface $`_{j=1}^mx_j^2=2\pi ^2`$ in $`V`$.

However, when $`m3`$ we can use (27) to eliminate possibility (b). For $`\overline{𝜷(U)}`$ must contain the limit in (27), which satisfies $`_{j=1}^m\beta _j^2=\pi ^2\left(\frac{1}{k}+\frac{1}{l}\right)`$. This lies in $`_{j=1}^mx_j^2=2\pi ^2`$ only if $`\frac{1}{k}+\frac{1}{l}=2`$, that is, if $`k=l=1`$, since $`k,l1`$.

Now the ranges of $`k`$ and $`l`$ are $`k=1,\mathrm{},a`$ and $`l=1,\mathrm{},ma`$. When $`m=2`$ we are forced to take $`k=l=a=1`$ and we cannot eliminate possibility (b), as it is actually true. But when $`m3`$ we are always free to choose $`k>1`$ or $`l>1`$, so $`\overline{𝜷(U)}`$ contains a point not on the hypersurface. Thus (b) is false, so (a) is true, and $`𝜷(U)`$ is $`(m1)`$-dimensional. This shows that $`\mathrm{d}𝜷|_u`$ must be surjective at some $`uU`$, and as this is an open condition and $`𝜷`$ is real analytic, $`\mathrm{d}𝜷|_u`$ is surjective for a dense open subset of $`uU`$. $`\mathrm{}`$

We immediately deduce the following rough analogue of \[7, Cor. 7.14\].

###### Corollary 5.8

In the situation above, we have $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m\pi `$ for a dense subset of $`u`$ in $`U`$.

Here is the main result of this section.

###### Theorem 5.9

For each $`m3`$ and $`1a<m`$, the construction above produces a countably infinite collection of $`1`$-parameter families of distinct special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^m`$ parametrized by $`c`$, given by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill N=\left\{\right(& x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u(t)},\mathrm{},x_a\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _a(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _a+u(t)},\hfill \\ & x_{a+1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{a+1}(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _{a+1}u(t)},\mathrm{},x_m\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _m(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _mu(t)}):\hfill \\ & t,x_j,x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=c\},\hfill \end{array}$$
(30)
such that

* if $`c>0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, nonsingular, immersed submanifold diffeomorphic to $`𝒮^{a1}\times ^{ma}\times 𝒮^1`$, or to a free quotient of this by $`_2`$,
* if $`c<0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, nonsingular, immersed submanifold diffeomorphic to $`^a\times 𝒮^{ma1}\times 𝒮^1`$, or to a free quotient of this by $`_2`$, and
* if $`c=0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, immersed cone with an isolated singular point at $`0`$, diffeomorphic to the cone on $`𝒮^{a1}\times 𝒮^{ma1}\times 𝒮^1`$, or to a cone on a free quotient of this by $`_2`$.

Proof. We saw at the beginning of §5.5 that if $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m\pi `$ then the time evolution of Theorem 5.2 exists for all $`t`$, and is periodic with period $`nT`$ for some $`n1`$. But by Corollary 5.8 we have $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m\pi `$ for a dense subset of $`uU`$. Thus, the construction above yields a countable collection of families of SL $`m`$-folds, locally parametrized by $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m\pi `$ with $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$.

Choose one of these families, and define $`N`$ by (30). Then $`N`$ is special Lagrangian by Theorem 5.2. Let $`P`$ be the quadric $`x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_m^2=c`$ in $`^m`$. Then $`N`$ is the image of a map $`\mathrm{\Phi }:P\times ^m`$ taking $`((x_1,\mathrm{},x_m),t)`$ to the point in $`^m`$ defined in (30). As the factors $`\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _j\pm u(t)}`$ are always nonzero, $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is an immersion except when $`x_1=\mathrm{}=x_m=0`$, which happens only when $`c=0`$.

Thus, $`N`$ is a nonsingular immersed submanifold when $`c0`$, and when $`c=0`$ it has just one singular point 0 as an immersed submanifold. Since $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is periodic in $`t`$ with period $`nT`$, we can instead regard $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ as a map $`P\times 𝒮^1^m`$, where $`𝒮^1=/nT`$. It is also not difficult to see that the image $`N`$ of $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is closed, provided $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is periodic.

Now $`P`$ is diffeomorphic to $`𝒮^{a1}\times ^{ma}`$ when $`c>0`$, to $`^a\times 𝒮^{ma1}`$ when $`c<0`$, and to the cone on $`𝒮^{a1}\times 𝒮^{ma1}`$ when $`c=0`$. Thus $`N`$ is diffeomorphic under $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ as an immersed submanifold to $`𝒮^{a1}\times ^{ma}\times 𝒮^1`$ when $`c>0`$, to $`^a\times 𝒮^{ma1}\times 𝒮^1`$ when $`c<0`$, and to the cone on $`𝒮^{a1}\times 𝒮^{ma1}\times 𝒮^1`$ when $`c=0`$.

It remains only to discuss the parts about free quotients by $`_2`$ in (a)–(c). We could have left these bits out, as the result is true without them. The point is this: suppose $`\beta _j=\pi a_j/b`$, for integers $`a_1,\mathrm{},a_m`$ and $`b`$ with $`hcf(a_1,\mathrm{},a_m,b)=1`$ and $`b>0`$. Then $`w_j(t+bT)=(1)^{a_j}w_j(t)`$, so that $`w_j`$ has period $`bT`$ if $`a_j`$ is even, and $`2bT`$ if $`a_j`$ is odd. Thus $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ satisfies

$$\mathrm{\Phi }((x_1,\mathrm{},x_m),t)=\mathrm{\Phi }(((1)^{a_1}x_1,\mathrm{},(1)^{a_m}x_m),t+bT).$$

Since $`P`$ is invariant under $`(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)((1)^{a_1}x_1,\mathrm{},(1)^{a_m}x_m)`$, the family of quadrics making up $`N`$ has period $`bT`$. But it doesn’t simply repeat after time $`bT`$, but also changes the signs of those $`x_j`$ with $`a_j`$ odd. Let us regard $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ as mapping $`P\times 𝒮^1^m`$, where $`𝒮^1=/2bT`$. Then $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is generically 2:1, and filters through a map $`(P\times 𝒮^1)/_2^m`$, where the generator of $`_2`$ acts freely on $`P\times 𝒮^1`$ by

$$((x_1,\mathrm{},x_m),t+2bT)(((1)^{a_1}x_1,\mathrm{},(1)^{a_n}x_m),t+bT+2bT).$$

This completes the proof. $`\mathrm{}`$

This theorem is analogous to \[7, Th. 7.15\]. However, \[7, Th. 7.15\] constructs SL $`T^{m1}`$-cones $`N`$ with rather large symmetry groups $`Sym^0(N)=U(1)^{m2}`$, but the most generic cones and more general SL $`m`$-folds constructed above have $`Sym^0(N)=\{1\}`$, so they have rather small symmetry groups. This is not true for all the $`m`$-folds of Theorem 5.9, but only when $`\alpha _1,\mathrm{},\alpha _a`$ and $`\alpha _{a+1},\mathrm{},\alpha _m`$ are distinct.

Part (c) of the theorem is interesting, as it provides a large family of singular special Lagrangian cones in $`^m`$ which are good local models for the singularities of special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds. Parts (a) and (b) are examples of Asymptotically Conical special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in $`^m`$, and also give local models for how the singularities of part (c) can appear as limits of families of nonsingular SL $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds.

Here is a crude ‘parameter count’ of the number of distinct families of special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds produced by this construction. Locally the families are parametrized by by $`\beta _1,\mathrm{},\beta _m\pi `$ with $`\beta _1+\mathrm{}+\beta _m=0`$. There are unique integers $`a_1,\mathrm{},a_m,b`$ with $`\beta _j=\pi a_j/b`$, such that $`hcf(a_1,\mathrm{},a_m,b)=1`$ and $`b>0`$. But $`a_1+\mathrm{}+a_m=0`$, so we can discard $`a_m`$.

Observe that the constructions of this section and of \[7, §7\] are strikingly similar in some ways, despite their differences. The o.d.e.s (9) and \[7, eq. (8)\] behind the two constructions are essentially the same. And although the periodicity conditions considered above and in \[7, §7.5\] are very different, the end results are similar, as above we saw that $`N`$ depends on $`m`$ integers $`a_1,\mathrm{},a_{m1},b`$ with highest common factor 1, whereas after \[7, Th. 7.15\] we concluded that $`N`$ depended on $`m`$ integers $`\stackrel{~}{a}_1,\mathrm{},\stackrel{~}{a}_{m1},a`$ with highest common factor 1.

The author wonders whether there is some deep connection, or duality, between the constructions of \[7, §7\] and this section, which explains these similarities. This could be an integrable systems phenomenon, some kind of ‘Bäcklund transformation’ between the two constructions which respects the periodicity criteria, or something to do with mirror symmetry.

## 6 The 3-dimensional case

We now specialize to the case $`m=3`$ in the situation of §5. The special Lagrangian 3-folds we discuss in this section were also considered from a different point of view by Bryant \[1, §3.5\]. Bryant uses Cartan–Kähler theory to study special Lagrangian 3-folds $`L`$ in $`^3`$ whose second fundamental form $`h`$ satisfies certain conditions at every point.

In effect, Bryant shows \[1, Th. 4\] that $`L`$ is one of the SL 3-folds of parts (b)–(d) of §5.4 if and only if $`h`$ has stabilizer $`_2`$ in a dense open subset of $`L`$. His methods are local. They show that the family of such 3-folds is finite-dimensional and compute the dimension, but give less information on the global nature of $`L`$.

Of the four cases (a)–(d) in §5.4, cases (a), (b) and (c) are already well understood, so we will concentrate on case (d). Fixing $`m=3`$, the two possibilities $`a=1`$ and $`a=2`$ in this case are exchanged by reversing the order of $`z_1,z_2,z_3`$ and changing the sign of $`c`$, so without loss of generality we shall choose $`a=1`$.

We begin by summarizing the results of §5.1 and §5.2 when $`m=3`$ and $`a=1`$. From Theorem 5.1 we obtain

###### Theorem 6.1

Suppose $`w_1,w_2,w_3:(ϵ,ϵ)\{0\}`$ satisfy

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}w_1}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w_2w_3},\frac{\mathrm{d}w_2}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w_3w_1}\text{and}\frac{\mathrm{d}w_3}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w_1w_2}.$$
(31)
Let $`c`$, and define a subset $`N`$ of $`^3`$ to be

$$\{(w_1(t)x_1,w_2(t)x_2,w_3(t)x_3):t(ϵ,ϵ),x_j,x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=c\}.$$
(32)
Then $`N`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^3`$.

Combining Theorem 5.2, Proposition 5.3 and ideas from §5.4, we get

###### Proposition 6.2

In the situation of Theorem 6.1 the functions $`w_1,w_2,w_3`$ may be written

$$w_1=\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u},w_2=\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _2}\sqrt{\alpha _2u}\text{and}w_3=\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _3}\sqrt{\alpha _3u},$$

so that

$$|w_1|^2=\alpha _1+u,|w_2|^2=\alpha _2u\text{and}|w_3|^2=\alpha _3u,$$
(33)
where $`\alpha _j`$ and $`u,\theta _1,\theta _2,\theta _3:(ϵ,ϵ)`$ are differentiable functions. Define

$$Q(u)=(\alpha _1+u)(\alpha _2u)(\alpha _3u)\text{and}\theta =\theta _1+\theta _2+\theta _3.$$

Then $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta A`$ for some $`A`$, and $`u`$ and $`\theta _j`$ satisfy

$`\left({\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}}\right)^2`$ $`=4\left(Q(u)A^2\right),`$ $`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _1}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{A}{\alpha _1+u}},`$ (34)
$`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _2}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{A}{\alpha _2u}}`$ $`\text{and}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _3}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`={\displaystyle \frac{A}{\alpha _3u}}.`$
If $`A0`$ then $`w_j`$, $`u`$ and $`\theta _j`$ exist for all $`t`$ in $``$, not just in $`(ϵ,ϵ)`$.

In the last line, the $`w_j`$ actually exist for all $`t`$ even when $`A=0`$. But in this case at least one of the $`w_j`$ will become zero at some time $`t`$, and then $`\theta _j`$ is undefined at time $`t`$, and should be regarded as jumping discontinuously by $`\pm \pi `$. Note that as $`m=3`$, by following the method of \[7, §8.2\] we can solve equation (34) explicitly using the Jacobi elliptic functions. But we will not do this here.

We will explain the 3-dimensional analogue of Theorem 5.9 in a little more detail. From §5.5, when $`m=3`$ and $`a=1`$ the SL 3-folds of Theorem 5.9 are locally parametrized by $`\beta _1,\beta _2,\beta _3\pi `$ with $`\beta _1<0`$, $`\beta _2,\beta _3>0`$ and $`\beta _1+\beta _2+\beta _3=0`$. We may write such $`\beta _j`$ uniquely as $`\beta _j=\pi a_j/b`$, where $`a_1,a_2,a_3,b`$ with $`b>0`$ and $`hcf(a_1,a_2,a_3,b)=1`$. Then the family of quadrics making up $`N`$ has period $`bT`$.

However, the functions $`w_1,w_2,w_3:`$ satisfy $`w_j(t+bT)=(1)^{a_j}w_j(t)`$ for $`t`$. Thus, if $`a_j`$ is odd then $`w_j`$ actually has period $`2bT`$ rather than $`bT`$. The family of quadrics making up $`N`$ still has period $`bT`$, because the quadric $`x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=c`$ in $`^3`$ is invariant under a change of sign of $`x_j`$.

Now in describing the topological type of $`N`$ in parts (a)–(c) of Theorem 5.9, we allowed the possibility of a free quotient by $`_2`$. When $`m=3`$ and $`a=1`$, how this $`_2`$ acts depends on whether $`a_1`$ is even or odd. For instance, when $`c>0`$ the quadric $`x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=c`$ splits into two connected components, with $`x_1>0`$ and $`x_1<0`$. Replacing $`t`$ by $`t+bT`$ maps $`x_j`$ to $`(1)^{a_j}x_j`$. When $`a_1`$ is even this map fixes the two components of the quadric, so that $`N`$ splits into two pieces, but when $`a_1`$ is odd the two components are swapped, so that $`N`$ comes in only one piece.

We shall state two versions of Theorem 5.9 when $`m=3`$ and $`a=1`$, for the two cases $`a_1`$ even and $`a_1`$ odd. Note that the sets of triples $`(\beta _1,\beta _2,\beta _3)`$ with $`\beta _j\pi `$ and $`a_1`$ even, and with $`a_1`$ odd, are both dense in the set of all $`(\beta _1,\beta _2,\beta _3)`$, so by the argument of Corollary 5.8 the sets of initial data with $`\beta _j\pi `$ and $`a_1`$ even, and with $`\beta _j\pi `$ and $`a_1`$ odd, are both dense in the set of all initial data, and for both cases there are a countably infinite number of solutions.

Here is the first version, with $`a_1`$ even.

###### Theorem 6.3

The construction above gives a countably infinite collection of $`1`$-parameter families of distinct special Lagrangian $`3`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^3`$ parametrized by $`c`$, given by

$`N=\left\{\right(`$ $`x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u(t)},x_2\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _2(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _2u(t)},x_3\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _3(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _3u(t)}):`$
$`t,x_j,x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=c\},`$
such that

* if $`c>0`$ then $`N`$ is the union of two distinct pieces $`N_+`$ and $`N_{}=N_+`$, each of which is a closed, nonsingular, immersed submanifold diffeomorphic to $`𝒮^1\times ^2`$.
* if $`c<0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, nonsingular, immersed submanifold diffeomorphic to $`T^2\times `$, with $`N=N`$, and
* if $`c=0`$ then $`N`$ is the union of two distinct pieces $`N_+`$ and $`N_{}=N_+`$, each of which is a closed, immersed cone on $`T^2`$, with an isolated singular point at $`0`$.

Here is the second version, with $`a_1`$ odd.

###### Theorem 6.4

The construction above gives a countably infinite collection of $`1`$-parameter families of distinct special Lagrangian $`3`$-folds $`N`$ in $`^3`$ parametrized by $`c`$, given by

$`N=\left\{\right(`$ $`x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u(t)},x_2\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _2(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _2u(t)},x_3\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _3(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _3u(t)}):`$
$`t,x_j,x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=c\},`$
such that

* if $`c>0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, nonsingular, immersed submanifold diffeomorphic to $`𝒮^1\times ^2`$.
* if $`c<0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, nonsingular, immersed submanifold diffeomorphic to a free quotient of $`T^2\times `$ by $`_2`$. It can be thought of as the total space of a nontrivial real line bundle over the Klein bottle, and has only one infinite end, diffeomorphic to $`T^2\times (0,\mathrm{})`$.
* if $`c=0`$ then $`N`$ is a closed, immersed cone on $`T^2`$, with an isolated singular point at $`0`$.

In all three cases we have $`N=N`$.

In part (c) of these two theorems, the author expects the $`T^2`$-cones to be embedded in nearly all cases.

### 6.1 Conformal parametrization of SL cones

Let us now put $`c=0`$ in Theorem 6.1, so that the 3-fold $`N`$ of (32) is a cone. Define $`\mathrm{\Sigma }=N𝒮^5`$, where $`𝒮^5`$ is the unit sphere in $`^3`$. Then $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ is a minimal Legendrian surface in $`𝒮^5`$, as $`N`$ is a minimal Lagrangian 3-fold in $`^3`$.

We shall write down an explicit conformal parametrization $`\mathrm{\Phi }:^2\mathrm{\Sigma }`$. Now by \[3, p. 32\], a conformal map from a Riemann surface to a Riemannian manifold is harmonic if and only if its image in minimal. Thus, as $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is conformal and its image $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ is minimal, $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is harmonic; and so we have constructed an explicit harmonic map $`\mathrm{\Phi }:^2𝒮^5`$. Such maps are of interest to people who study harmonic maps and integrable systems. We begin with a preliminary lemma.

###### Lemma 6.5

Let $`w_j`$ be as in Theorem 6.1 and $`\alpha _j`$ and $`u`$ be as in Proposition 34. Then $`\mathrm{\Sigma }=N𝒮^5`$ may be written

$`\{(w_1(t)`$ $`x_1,w_2(t)x_2,w_3(t)x_3):t,x_j,`$
$`\alpha _1x_1^2+\alpha _2x_2^2+\alpha _3x_3^2=1,x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=0\}.`$
Proof. A point $`(w_1x_1,w_2x_2,w_3x_3)`$ in $`N`$ lies in $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ if and only if $`|w_1|^2x_1^2+|w_2|^2x_2^2+|w_3|^2x_3^2=1`$. Substituting in (33), this is equivalent to

$$(\alpha _1x_1^2+\alpha _2x_2^2+\alpha _3x_3^2)+(x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2)=1.$$

But by definition $`x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=0`$, and thus $`\alpha _1x_1^2+\alpha _2x_2^2+\alpha _3x_3^2=1`$. $`\mathrm{}`$

This shows that $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ is naturally isomorphic to $`C\times `$, where $`C`$ is given by

$$C=\{(x_1,x_2,x_3)^3:\alpha _1x_1^2+\alpha _2x_2^2+\alpha _3x_3^2=1,x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=0\}.$$

Since we may assume as in §5.4 that $`\alpha _j>0`$ for $`j=1,2,3`$, it follows that $`C`$ divides into two connected components $`C_+`$, with $`x_1>0`$, and $`C_{}`$, with $`x_1<0`$, each of which is diffeomorphic to $`𝒮^1`$. This splitting into $`C_\pm `$ corresponds to the splitting of $`N`$ into $`N_\pm `$ in part (c) of Theorem 6.4. There is also a corresponding splitting of $`\mathrm{\Sigma }`$ into $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_\pm `$.

Let us parametrize the circle $`C_+`$ with a parameter $`s`$, so that

$$C_+=\{(x_1(s),x_2(s),x_3(s)):s\}.$$

This gives a parametrization $`\mathrm{\Phi }:^2\mathrm{\Sigma }_+`$ of $`\mathrm{\Sigma }_+`$, by

$$\mathrm{\Phi }:(s,t)(w_1(t)x_1(s),w_2(t)x_2(s),w_3(t)x_3(s)).$$
(35)
We shall calculate the conditions upon $`x_j(s)`$ for $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ to be conformal, and solve them.

Since the $`x_j(s)`$ satisfy $`\alpha _1x_1^2+\alpha _2x_2^2+\alpha _3x_3^2=1`$ and $`x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=0`$, differentiating with respect to $`s`$ gives

$$\alpha _1x_1\dot{x}_1+\alpha _2x_2\dot{x}_2+\alpha _3x_3\dot{x}_3=0\text{and}x_1\dot{x}_1x_2\dot{x}_2x_3\dot{x}_3=0,$$

where ‘$`\dot{}`$’ is $`\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}s}`$. Thus the vector $`(\dot{x}_1,\dot{x}_2,\dot{x}_3)`$ is orthogonal to $`(\alpha _1x_1,\alpha _2x_2,\alpha _3x_3)`$ and $`(x_1,x_2,x_3)`$, so it is parallel to their vector product. This gives

$$\begin{array}{c}\dot{x}_1=\gamma (\alpha _2\alpha _3)x_2x_3,\dot{x}_2=\gamma (\alpha _1+\alpha _3)x_3x_1\\ \text{and}\dot{x}_3=\gamma (\alpha _1+\alpha _2)x_1x_2,\end{array}$$
(36)
for some real nonzero function $`\gamma (s)`$. Also, as $`x_1,x_2,x_3`$ satisfy $`\alpha _1x_1^2+\alpha _2x_2^2+\alpha _3x_3^2=1`$ and $`x_1^2x_2^2x_3^2=0`$, we may write

$$x_1^2=\frac{1+(\alpha _2\alpha _3)v}{\alpha _1+\alpha _2},x_2^2=\frac{1(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)v}{\alpha _1+\alpha _2}\text{and}x_3^2=v,$$
(37)
for some real function $`v(s)`$.

Combining equations (31), (35) and (36) gives

$`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s}}`$ $`=\gamma ((\alpha _2\alpha _3)w_1x_2x_3,(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)w_2x_3x_1,(\alpha _1+\alpha _2)w_3x_1x_2)`$
$`\text{and}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t}}`$ $`=(\overline{w_2w_3}x_1,\overline{w_3w_1}x_2,\overline{w_1w_2}x_3).`$
Thus

$$g(\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s},\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t})=\gamma \left((\alpha _2\alpha _3)+(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)(\alpha _1+\alpha _2)\right)Re(w_1w_2w_3)x_1x_2x_3=0,$$

so that $`\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s}`$ and $`\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t}`$ are orthogonal.

Using equations (33) and (37) to write $`\left|\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s}\right|^2`$ and $`\left|\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t}\right|^2`$ in terms of $`u`$ and $`v`$, after a lot of cancellation we find that

$`\left|{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s}}\right|^2`$ $`=\gamma ^2\left(\alpha _3+u+(\alpha _2\alpha _3)(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)v\right)`$
$`\text{and}\left|{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t}}\right|^2`$ $`=\alpha _3+u+(\alpha _2\alpha _3)(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)v.`$
Note that the coefficients of $`uv,v^2`$ and $`uv^2`$ in $`\left|\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s}\right|^2`$ and the coefficients of $`uv,u^2`$ and $`u^2v`$ in $`\left|\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t}\right|^2`$ all vanish. From these equations, we see that if $`\gamma ^2=1`$ then $`\left|\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{s}\right|^2=\left|\frac{\mathrm{\Phi }}{t}\right|^2`$, so that $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is conformal.

So let us fix $`\gamma =1`$. Then we seek functions $`x_1(s),x_2(s),x_3(s)`$ satisfying the o.d.e. (36) with $`\gamma =1`$, and the restrictions (37). It turns out that we can solve these equations explicitly in terms of the Jacobi elliptic functions, to which we now give a brief introduction. The following material can be found in Chandrasekharan \[2, Ch. VII\].

For each $`k[0,1]`$, the Jacobi elliptic functions $`sn(t,k)`$, $`cn(t,k)`$, $`dn(t,k)`$ with modulus $`k`$ are the unique solutions to the o.d.e.s

$`\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}sn(t,k)\right)^2`$ $`=\left(1sn^2(t,k)\right)\left(1k^2sn^2(t,k)\right),`$
$`\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}cn(t,k)\right)^2`$ $`=\left(1cn^2(t,k)\right)\left(1k^2+k^2cn^2(t,k)\right),`$
$`\left(\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}dn(t,k)\right)^2`$ $`=\left(1dn^2(t,k)\right)\left(1k^2dn^2(t,k)\right),`$
with initial conditions

$`sn(0,k)`$ $`=0,`$ $`cn(0,k)`$ $`=1,`$ $`dn(0,k)`$ $`=1,`$
$`\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}sn(0,k)`$ $`=1,`$ $`\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}cn(0,k)`$ $`=0,`$ $`\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}dn(0,k)`$ $`=0.`$
They satisfy the identities

$$sn^2(t,k)+cn^2(t,k)=1\text{and}k^2sn^2(t,k)+dn^2(t,k)=1,$$
(38)
and the differential equations

$$\begin{array}{c}\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}sn(t,k)=cn(t,k)dn(t,k),\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}cn(t,k)=sn(t,k)dn(t,k)\\ \text{and}\frac{\mathrm{d}}{\mathrm{d}t}dn(t,k)=k^2sn(t,k)cn(t,k).\end{array}$$
(39)
Returning to equations (36) and (37), suppose $`\alpha _2\alpha _3`$, and define

$$x_1=(\alpha _1+\alpha _2)^{1/2}dn(\mu s,\nu ),x_2=(\alpha _1+\alpha _2)^{1/2}cn(\mu s,\nu )$$

$$\text{and}x_3=(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}sn(\mu s,\nu ),$$

where

$$\mu =(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}\text{and}\nu ^2=\frac{\alpha _3\alpha _2}{\alpha _1+\alpha _3}.$$

Then from (38) and (39), these $`x_j`$ satisfy (36) and (37) with $`v=(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^1sn^2(\mu s,\nu )`$. Drawing the above work together, we have proved:

###### Theorem 6.6

In the situation above, define $`\mathrm{\Phi }:^2𝒮^5`$ by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \mathrm{\Phi }& :(s,t)((\alpha _1+\alpha _2)^{1/2}dn(\mu s,\nu )w_1(t),\hfill \\ & (\alpha _1+\alpha _2)^{1/2}cn(\mu s,\nu )w_2(t),(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}sn(\mu s,\nu )w_3(t)),\hfill \end{array}$$
(40)
where $`\mu =(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}`$, $`\nu =(\alpha _3\alpha _2)^{1/2}(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}`$ and $`𝒮^5`$ is the unit sphere in $`^3`$. Then $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is a conformal, harmonic map.

We made the assumption above that $`\alpha _2\alpha _3`$. If $`\alpha _2>\alpha _3`$ then we can apply the same method, but swapping over $`x_2`$ and $`x_3`$, and $`\alpha _2`$ and $`\alpha _3`$, so that

$$x_1=(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}dn(\mu s,\nu ),x_2=(\alpha _1+\alpha _2)^{1/2}sn(\mu s,\nu )$$

$$\text{and}x_3=(\alpha _1+\alpha _3)^{1/2}cn(\mu s,\nu ),$$

where

$$\mu =(\alpha _1+\alpha _2)^{1/2}\text{and}\nu ^2=\frac{\alpha _2\alpha _3}{\alpha _1+\alpha _2}.$$

Note also that all of our expressions for $`x_j(s)`$ depend only on the linear combinations $`\alpha _1+\alpha _2`$, $`\alpha _1+\alpha _3`$ and $`\alpha _2\alpha _3`$ of $`\alpha _1,\alpha _2,\alpha _3`$. This is because the $`\alpha _j`$ were defined in (12) up to an arbitrary constant $`\lambda `$, and these combinations are independent of $`\lambda `$.

### 6.2 Relation with harmonic tori in $`^2`$ and $`𝒮^5`$

Theorem 6.6 constructed a family of explicit conformal harmonic maps $`\mathrm{\Phi }:^2𝒮^5`$. Furthermore, as the cone on the image of $`\mathrm{\Phi }`$ is Lagrangian, one can show that if $`\pi :𝒮^5^2`$ is the Hopf projection then $`\pi \mathrm{\Phi }`$ is conformal and harmonic, so we also have a family of explicit conformal harmonic maps $`\mathrm{\Psi }:^2^2`$.

Now harmonic maps from Riemann surfaces into spheres and projective spaces are an integrable system, and have been intensively studied in the integrable systems literature. For an introduction to the subject, see Fordy and Wood , in particular the articles by Bolton and Woodward \[3, p. 59–82\], McIntosh \[3, p. 205–220\] and Burstall and Pedit \[3, p. 221–272\].

Therefore our examples can be analyzed from the integrable systems point of view. We postpone this analysis to the sequel . In \[11, §5\] we shall realize the SL cones in $`^3`$ constructed in Theorem 6.1 with $`c=0`$ as special cases of a more general construction of special Lagrangian cones in $`^3`$, which involves two commuting o.d.e.s.

Then in \[11, §6\] we work through the integrable systems framework for the corresponding family of harmonic maps $`\mathrm{\Psi }:^2^2`$, showing that they are generically superconformal of finite type, and determining their harmonic sequences, Toda solutions, algebras of polynomial Killing fields, and spectral curves. From the integrable systems point of view, part (c) of Theorems 6.3 and 6.4 are interesting because they construct large families of superconformal harmonic tori in $`^2`$.

## 7 Examples from evolving non-centred quadrics

We will now apply the construction of §3 to the family of sets of affine evolution data $`(P,\chi )`$ defined using non-centred quadrics in $`^m`$ in Example 4.1 of §4. Our treatment follows §5 closely, and so we will leave out many of the details.

As in Example 4.1, let $`(m1)/2am1`$, and define $`P`$ and $`\chi `$ by

$`P`$ $`=\{(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)^m:x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_{m1}^2+2x_m=0\},`$
$`\chi `$ $`=2(1)^{m1}e_1\mathrm{}e_{m1}+2{\displaystyle \underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m`$
$`2{\displaystyle \underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m1}{}}}(1)^{j1}x_je_1\mathrm{}e_{j1}e_{j+1}\mathrm{}e_m,`$
where $`e_j`$ is the vector with $`x_j=1`$ and $`x_k=0`$ for $`jk`$. Then $`P`$ is nonsingular in $`^m`$, and $`(P,\chi )`$ is a set of affine evolution data.

Consider affine maps $`\varphi :^m^m`$ of the form

$$\varphi :(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)(w_1x_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}x_{m1},x_m+\beta )$$
(41)
for $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}`$ in $`\{0\}`$ and $`\beta `$. Then $`\varphi `$ is injective and $`Im\varphi `$ is an affine Lagrangian $`m`$-plane in $`^m`$, so that $`\varphi `$ lies in the subset $`𝒞_P`$ of $`Aff(^m,^m)`$ given in Definition 3.3.

Then as in §5, the evolution equation (2) for $`\varphi `$ in $`𝒞_P`$ preserves $`\varphi `$ of the form (41). So, consider a 1-parameter family $`\{\varphi _t:t(ϵ,ϵ)\}`$ given by

$$\varphi _t:(x_1,\mathrm{},x_m)(w_1(t)x_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}(t)x_{m1},x_m+\beta (t)),$$

where $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}:(ϵ,ϵ)\{0\}`$ and $`\beta :(ϵ,ϵ)`$ are differentiable functions. Following the method of §5.1 one can rewrite (2) as a first-order o.d.e. upon $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}`$ and $`\beta `$. We end up with the following analogue of Theorem 5.1.

###### Theorem 7.1

Let $`(m1)/2am1`$. Suppose $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}:(ϵ,ϵ)\{0\}`$ and $`\beta :(ϵ,ϵ)\{0\}`$ are differentiable functions satisfying

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}w_j}{\mathrm{d}t}=\{\begin{array}{cc}\overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_{m1}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{j1}w_{j+1}\mathrm{}w_{m1}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m1,\hfill \end{array}$$
(42)
$$\text{and}\frac{\mathrm{d}\beta }{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w_1\mathrm{}w_{m1}}.$$
(43)
Define a subset $`N`$ of $`^m`$ by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill N=\{& (w_1(t)x_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}(t)x_{m1},x_m+\beta (t)):t(ϵ,ϵ),\hfill \\ & x_j,x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_{m1}^2+2x_m=0\}.\hfill \end{array}$$
(44)
Then $`N`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^m`$.

Now (42) shows that the evolution of $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}`$ is independent of $`\beta `$. Furthermore, equation (42) coincides with equation (9) of Theorem 5.1, with $`m`$ replaced by $`m1`$. Thus, we can use the material of §5.2–§5.5 to write $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}`$ explicitly in terms of elliptic integrals, and to describe their global behaviour.

Having found $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}`$ as functions of $`t`$, we can then use (43) to determine the function $`\beta `$. Thus we can solve equations (42) and (43) in a fairly explicit way, and use the solution to describe and understand the SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ of (44).

So, following §5.2, let $`\lambda `$, set $`\alpha _j=|w_j(0)|^2\lambda `$ for $`j=1,\mathrm{},a`$ and $`\alpha _j=|w_j(0)|^2+\lambda `$ for $`j=a+1,\mathrm{},m1`$, and define $`u:(ϵ,ϵ)`$ by $`u(t)=\lambda +2_0^tRe\left(w_1(s)\mathrm{}w_{m1}(s)\right)\mathrm{d}s`$. Then we have

$$w_j(t)=\{\begin{array}{cc}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _j+u(t)},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \mathrm{e}^{i\theta _j(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _ju(t)},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m1,\hfill \end{array}$$

for differentiable functions $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _{m1}:(ϵ,ϵ)`$. Define

$$\theta =\theta _1+\mathrm{}+\theta _{m1}\text{and}Q(u)=\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}(\alpha _j+u)\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m1}{}}(\alpha _ju).$$

Then following (14)–(16) we find that $`\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}=2Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{cos}\theta `$, and derive expressions for $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}`$ and $`\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta }{\mathrm{d}t}`$.

As in (18) we show that $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta A`$ for some constant $`A`$. Now $`w_1\mathrm{}w_{m1}=Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta }`$. Thus equation (43) gives

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\beta }{\mathrm{d}t}=Q(u)^{1/2}(\mathrm{cos}\theta i\mathrm{sin}\theta )=\frac{1}{2}\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}iA,$$

as $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{cos}\theta =\frac{1}{2}\frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}`$ and $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta =A`$. Integrating this gives

$$\beta (t)=C+\frac{1}{2}u(t)iAt,$$
(45)
where $`C=\beta (0)\frac{1}{2}u(0)`$. As $`\beta (0)`$ is arbitrary we may as well fix $`C=0`$. So we obtain the following analogue of Theorem 5.2.

###### Theorem 7.2

Let $`u`$ and $`\theta _1,\mathrm{},\theta _{m1}`$ be differentiable functions $`(ϵ,ϵ)`$ satisfying

$`{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}u}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`=2Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{cos}\theta `$
$`\text{and}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}\theta _j}{\mathrm{d}t}}`$ $`=\{\begin{array}{cc}{\displaystyle \frac{Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta }{\alpha _j+u}},\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ {\displaystyle \frac{Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta }{\alpha _ju}},\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m1,\hfill \end{array}`$
where $`\theta =\theta _1+\mathrm{}+\theta _{m1}`$, so that

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}\theta }{\mathrm{d}t}=Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta \left(\underset{j=1}{\overset{a}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _j+u}\underset{j=a+1}{\overset{m1}{}}\frac{1}{\alpha _ju}\right).$$

Then $`u`$ and $`\theta `$ satisfy $`Q(u)^{1/2}\mathrm{sin}\theta A`$ for some $`A`$. Suppose that $`\alpha _j+u>0`$ for $`j=1,\mathrm{},a`$ and $`\alpha _ju>0`$ for $`j=a+1,\mathrm{},m1`$ and $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$. Define a subset $`N`$ of $`^m`$ to be

$`\{(x_1`$ $`\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u(t)},\mathrm{},x_a\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _a(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _a+u(t)},x_{a+1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{a+1}(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _{a+1}u(t)},`$
$`\mathrm{},x_{m1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{m1}(t)}\sqrt{\alpha _{m1}u(t)},x_m+\frac{1}{2}u(t)iAt):`$
$`t(ϵ,ϵ),x_j,x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_{m1}^2+2x_m=0\}.`$
Then $`N`$ is a special Lagrangian submanifold in $`^m`$.

As in §5.3, if we assume that $`\theta (t)(\pi /2,\pi /2)`$ for $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$ then $`u`$ is an increasing function of $`t`$, and we can choose to regard everything as a function of $`u`$ rather than of $`t`$. This yields the following analogue of Theorem 5.4:

###### Theorem 7.3

Suppose $`\theta (t)(\pi /2,\pi /2)`$ for all $`t(ϵ,ϵ)`$. Then the special Lagrangian $`m`$-fold $`N`$ of Theorem 7.1 is given explicitly by

$`N=\left\{\right(`$ $`x_1\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _1(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _1+u},\mathrm{},x_a\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _a(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _a+u},x_{a+1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{a+1}(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _{a+1}u},`$
$`\mathrm{},x_{m1}\mathrm{e}^{i\theta _{m1}(u)}\sqrt{\alpha _{m1}u},x_m+\frac{1}{2}uiAt(u)):`$
$`u(u(ϵ),u(ϵ)),x_j,x_1^2+\mathrm{}+x_a^2x_{a+1}^2\mathrm{}x_{m1}^2+2x_m=0\},`$
where the functions $`\theta _j(u)`$ and $`t(u)`$ are given by

$`\theta _j(u)=\{\begin{array}{cc}\theta _j(0){\displaystyle \frac{A}{2}}{\displaystyle _{u(0)}^u}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _j+v)\sqrt{Q(v)A^2}}}\hfill & j=1,\mathrm{},a,\hfill \\ \theta _j(0)+{\displaystyle \frac{A}{2}}{\displaystyle _{u(0)}^u}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{(\alpha _jv)\sqrt{Q(v)A^2}}}\hfill & j=a+1,\mathrm{},m1,\hfill \end{array}`$
$`\text{and}t(u)={\displaystyle _{u(0)}^u}{\displaystyle \frac{\mathrm{d}v}{2\sqrt{Q(v)A^2}}}.`$
This presentation has the advantage of defining $`N`$ very explicitly, but the disadvantage that it is only valid for a certain range of $`\theta `$, and so of $`t`$. For understanding the global properties of the solutions $`N`$, it is better to keep $`t`$ as the variable, rather than $`u`$.

Next we describe the qualitative behaviour of the solutions, following the analysis of §5.4. We again divide into four cases (a)–(d).

Case (a): $`A=0`$.

In this case $`N`$ is an open subset of a special Lagrangian plane $`^m`$ in $`^m`$.

Case (b): $`a=m1`$ and $`A>0`$.

When $`m4`$, we find that (42) and (43) admit solutions on a bounded open interval $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$ with $`\gamma <0<\delta `$, such that $`u(t)\mathrm{}`$ as $`t\gamma _+`$ and $`t\delta _{}`$, so that the solutions cannot be extended continuously outside $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$. For $`m=3`$ the solutions exist on $``$, with $`u(t)\mathrm{}`$ as $`t\pm \mathrm{}`$, so we can put ‘$`\gamma =\mathrm{}`$’ and ‘$`\delta =\mathrm{}`$’ in this case.

The SL $`m`$-fold $`N`$ defined using the full solution interval $`(\gamma ,\delta )`$ is a closed, embedded special Lagrangian $`m`$-fold diffeomorphic to $`^m`$, the total space of a family of paraboloids $`P_t`$ in $`^m`$, parametrized by $`t(\gamma ,\delta )`$. As $`t\gamma _+`$ and $`t\delta _{}`$, these paraboloids go to infinity in $`^m`$, and also flatten out, so that they come to resemble hyperplanes $`^{m1}`$.

At infinity, $`N`$ is asymptotic (in a rather weak sense) to the union of two special Lagrangian $`m`$-planes $`^m`$ in $`^m`$ intersecting in $`\{(0,\mathrm{},0,x_m):x_m\}`$, a copy of $``$. We should think of these two planes as being joined when $`x_m(\mathrm{},0]`$, but separated when $`x_m(0,\mathrm{})`$.

That is, $`N`$ is a kind of connected sum of two special Lagrangian $`m`$-planes $`^m`$, but a connected sum performed along an infinite interval $`(\mathrm{},0]`$ rather than a single point. Note that $`N`$ can be regarded as a limiting case of case (b) of §5.4, in which the two special Lagrangian $`m`$-planes degenerate from meeting at a point to meeting at a line, and at the same time the $`x_m`$ coordinate of their point of intersection goes to $`\mathrm{}`$.

These solutions are interesting as local models for singularities of SL $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds. When $`m=3`$ we can solve the equations very explicitly, and will do so below.

For the two remaining cases with $`1am2`$ and $`A>0`$, as in §5.4 we choose the constant $`\lambda `$ uniquely such that $`\alpha _j>0`$ for all $`j`$ and $`_{j=1}^a\alpha _j^1=_{j=a+1}^{m1}\alpha _j^1`$. Then $`0<A^2\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _{m1}`$.

Case (c): $`1am2`$ and $`A=(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _{m1})^{1/2}`$.

As in §5.4, this is one of the SL $`m`$-folds constructed in \[7, Prop. 9.3\] using the ‘perpendicular symmetry’ idea of \[7, §9\], this time with $`n=m1`$ and $`G=`$. An example of this with $`a=1`$ and $`m=3`$ is given in \[7, Ex. 9.6\].

Case (d): $`1am2`$ and $`0<A<(\alpha _1\mathrm{}\alpha _{m1})^{1/2}`$.

As in §5.4, in this case solutions exist for all $`t`$, and $`u`$ and $`\theta `$ are periodic in $`t`$, with period $`T`$. For special values of the initial data we may also arrange for $`w_1,\mathrm{},w_{m1}`$ to be periodic with period $`nT`$ for some $`n1`$.

However, by (45) we have $`Im\beta (t)=Im\beta (0)At`$, and $`A>0`$. Thus $`\beta `$ is never periodic, and so the time evolution does not repeat itself. So there is no point in following the discussion of §5.5. The corresponding SL $`m`$-folds $`N`$ are embedded submanifolds diffeomorphic to $`^m`$. For various reasons, they are not credible as local models for singularities of special Lagrangian $`m`$-folds in Calabi–Yau $`m`$-folds.

Finally, we set $`m=3`$. In this case equation (42) becomes a real linear o.d.e. in $`w_1`$ and $`w_2`$, and so is far easier to solve. We consider the cases $`a=2`$ and $`a=1`$, corresponding to cases (b) and (d) above, in the next two examples.

Example 7.4  Put $`m=3`$ and $`a=2`$ in Theorem 7.1. Then equations (42) and (43) become

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}w_1}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w}_2,\frac{\mathrm{d}w_2}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w}_1\text{and}\frac{\mathrm{d}\beta }{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w_1w_2}.$$
(46)
The first two equations have solutions

$$w_1=C\mathrm{e}^t+D\mathrm{e}^t\text{and}w_2=\overline{C}\mathrm{e}^t\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^t,$$

where $`C=\frac{1}{2}\left(w_1(0)+\overline{w_2(0)}\right)`$ and $`D=\frac{1}{2}\left(w_1(0)\overline{w_2(0)}\right)`$. Therefore

$$\overline{w_1w_2}=|C|^2\mathrm{e}^{2t}|D|^2\mathrm{e}^{2t}+2iIm(C\overline{D}),$$

and so integrating the third equation of (46) gives

$$\beta (t)=\frac{1}{2}|C|^2\mathrm{e}^{2t}+\frac{1}{2}|D|^2\mathrm{e}^{2t}+2iIm(C\overline{D})t+E,$$

where $`E=\beta (0)\frac{1}{2}|C|^2\frac{1}{2}|D|^2`$. Thus the special Lagrangian 3-fold $`N`$ in $`^3`$ defined in (44) is given parametrically by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \{& ((C\mathrm{e}^t+D\mathrm{e}^t)x_1,(\overline{C}\mathrm{e}^t\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^t)x_2,\frac{1}{2}(x_1^2+x_2^2)\hfill \\ & +\frac{1}{2}|C|^2\mathrm{e}^{2t}+\frac{1}{2}|D|^2\mathrm{e}^{2t}+2iIm(C\overline{D})t+E):x_1,x_2,t\}.\hfill \end{array}$$
(47)
Here we have used the equation $`x_1^2+x_2^2+2x_3=0`$ of (44) to eliminate $`x_3`$.

Equation (47) is a very explicit expression for a special Lagrangian 3-fold in $`^3`$. Case (a) above, with $`A=0`$, corresponds to $`Im(C\overline{D})=0`$, and in this case $`N`$ is a subset of an affine special Lagrangian 3-plane $`^3`$ in $`^3`$. If $`Im(C\overline{D})0`$ then $`N`$ is an embedded submanifold diffeomorphic to $`^3`$, with coordinates $`(x_1,x_2,t)`$.

Example 7.5  Put $`m=3`$ and $`a=1`$ in Theorem 7.1. Then equations (42) and (43) become

$$\frac{\mathrm{d}w_1}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w}_2,\frac{\mathrm{d}w_2}{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w}_1\text{and}\frac{\mathrm{d}\beta }{\mathrm{d}t}=\overline{w_1w_2}.$$
(48)
The first two equations have solutions

$$w_1=C\mathrm{e}^{it}+D\mathrm{e}^{it}\text{and}w_2=i\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^{it}i\overline{C}\mathrm{e}^{it},$$

where $`C=\frac{1}{2}\left(w_1(0)i\overline{w_2(0)}\right)`$ and $`D=\frac{1}{2}\left(w_1(0)+i\overline{w_2(0)}\right)`$. Therefore

$$\overline{w_1w_2}=iC\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^{2it}i\overline{C}D\mathrm{e}^{2it}+i\left(|C|^2|D|^2\right),$$

and so integrating the third equation of (48) gives

$$\beta (t)=\frac{1}{2}C\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^{2it}+\frac{1}{2}\overline{C}D\mathrm{e}^{2it}+i\left(|C|^2|D|^2\right)t+E,$$

where $`E=\beta (0)Re(\overline{C}D)`$. Thus the SL 3-fold $`N`$ in $`^3`$ defined in (44) is given parametrically by

$$\begin{array}{cc}\hfill \{& ((C\mathrm{e}^{it}+D\mathrm{e}^{it})x_1,(i\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^{it}i\overline{C}\mathrm{e}^{it})x_2,\frac{1}{2}(x_2^2x_1^2)\hfill \\ & +\frac{1}{2}C\overline{D}\mathrm{e}^{2it}+\frac{1}{2}\overline{C}D\mathrm{e}^{2it}+i(|C|^2|D|^2)t+E):x_1,x_2,t\}.\hfill \end{array}$$
(49)
Here we have used the equation $`x_1^2x_2^2+2x_3=0`$ of (44) to eliminate $`x_3`$.

Case (a) above, with $`A=0`$, corresponds to $`|C|=|D|`$, and in this case $`N`$ is a subset of an affine special Lagrangian 3-plane $`^3`$ in $`^3`$. If $`|C||D|`$ then $`N`$ is an embedded submanifold diffeomorphic to $`^3`$, with coordinates $`(x_1,x_2,t)`$. The two cases $`C=0`$ and $`D=0`$ are constructed by \[7, Prop. 9.3\] with $`n=2`$, $`m=3`$ and $`G=`$, as in \[7, Ex. 9.6\] and case (c) above, with the symmetry group $`G`$ of $`N`$ acting by $`(x_1,x_2,t)(x_1,x_2,t+c)`$.