Some variational formulations for minimum surfaces (Q1197314)

Through a new interpretation of the classical Lagrange formulation for minimal surfaces a set of variables, conjugate to surface gradients, are obtained and referred to as pseudo stresses. The related constitutive relations connecting the pseudo stresses to the surface gradients are shown to be invertible. Through analogy with the variational principles of elasticity, a complementary formulation for minimal surfaces is developed in terms of pseudo stresses and other mixed formulations analogous to Hellinger Reissner principles are derived. Two interesting points are brought to light in this study: (i) To each minimal surface, there exists a geometrically different dual surface that has an identical surface area; (ii) In an approximate analysis the two dual surfaces provide bounds on the exact magnitude of the surface area. In a subsequent study similar results have been obtained using the curvilinear coordinates on the surface and it has also been shown that the dual (membrane) surfaces not only have the same area, but they possess the same natural frequencies.