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Index of compact minimal submanifolds of the Berger spheres

The stability and the index of compact minimal submanifolds of the Berger spheres $\mathbb{S}^{2n+1}_τ,\, 0<τ\leq 1$, are studied. Unlike the case of the standard sphere ($τ=1$), where there are no stable compact minimal submanifolds, the Berger spheres have stable ones if and only if $τ^2\leq 1/2$. Moreover, there are no stable compact minimal $d$-dimensional submanifolds of $\mathbb{S}^{2n+1}_τ$ when $1 / (d+1) < τ^2 \leq 1$ and the stable ones are classified for $τ^2=1 / (d+1)$ when the submanifold is embedded. Finally, the compact orientable minimal surfaces of $\mathbb{S}^3_τ$ with index one are classified for $1/3\leqτ^2\leq 1$.