Half-space theorems for minimal surfaces in Nil_3 and Sol_3

Abstract

We prove some half-space theorems for minimal surfaces in the Heisenberg group Nil_3 and the Lie group Sol_3 endowed with their left-invariant Riemannian metrics. If S is a properly immersed minimal surface in Nil_3 that lies on one side of some entire minimal graph G, then S is the image of G by a vertical translation. If S is a properly immersed minimal surface in Sol_3 that lies on one side of a special plane, then S is another special plane.

19 pages, 3 figures