Harmonic mappings related to Scherk's saddle-tower minimal surfaces (Q5928691)

The authors prove the following result: Theorem. For each integer \(n\geq 3\), the harmonic function \(F_n\) defined on the unit disk by \[ F_n(z)=-\frac{2}{n}\sum^n_{k=1} \alpha^k\log|z-\alpha^k| \] maps the unit disk univalently onto a strictly starlike region with \(n\)-fold rotational symmetry. The number \(\alpha = e^{2\pi i/n}\) denotes a primitive \(n\)th root of unity. The function \(F_n\) arises in connection with investigations of some minimal surfaces [\textit{H. Karcher}, Manuscr. Math. 62, 83-114 (1988; Zbl 0658.53006)].