Minimal surfaces with an elastic boundary (Q5937092)

The author considers a mathematical model for the following physical phenomenon: A membran with the shape of a minimal surface is spanned into an elastic wire which has the shape of a simple closed curve. The elastic wire undergoes deformation until an equilibrium state is reached. Let \(D:=\{ \gamma\in C^3(R,R^3) \mid\gamma(s)= \gamma(s+1)\), \(|\dot \gamma|=1\), \(\gamma [(0,1])\) is simple closed curve\}. It is shown that there is a \(\gamma \in D\) which minimizes the functional of the total energy \(E_{\gamma_0} (\gamma) :=\int^1_0 |\ddot \gamma(s)- \ddot\gamma_0(s) |^2 ds+a\) -area (area minimizing surface with boundary \(\gamma([0,1]))\), where \(\gamma_0\in D\) and \(a\in (0,\infty)\) is suitably chosen.