Mean curvature one surfaces in hyperbolic space, and their relationship to minimal surfaces in Euclidean space (Q1608515)

The author reports, equipped with many computer graphics, on the relationship between minimal surfaces \(\Phi\) in the Euclidean space \(\mathbb{R}^3\) and mean curvature one (cmc1) surfaces \(\widetilde\Phi\) in the hyperbolic space \((H^3(-1)\) of constant curvature \(-1\). This one was first described by \textit{H. Lawson} [Ann. Math. (2) 92, 335-374 (1970; Zbl 0205.52001)]. Its origin is the fact that the cmc1 surface \(\widetilde\Phi\), corresponding to the minimal surface \(\Phi\), is determined by the two fundamental forms \(\widetilde I_1= I_1\) and \(\widetilde I_2= I_1+ I_2\) if \(I_1\) and \(I_2\) are the fundamental forms of \(\Phi\). Hereby a kind of the well-known Weierstrass representation for \(\Phi\) by a holomorphic function \(f\) and a meromorphic function \(g\) exists for \(\widetilde\Phi\) discovered by \textit{R. L. Bryant} [Astérisque 154/155, 321-347 (1988; Zbl 0635.53047)] using the Hermitian model \(\{A\overline A^t\mid A\in \text{SL}(2,\mathbb{C})\}\) of \(H^3(-1)\). Bryant's representation of \(\widetilde\Phi\) also allows the definition of a dual cmc1 ``cousin'' \(\widetilde\Phi^*\) of \(\Phi\) in \(H^3(-1)\) which is better to handle than the cousin \(\widetilde\Phi\) of \(\Phi\) itself. Under special symmetry conditions there even exists a one-parameter family for such cousin duals. Roughly spoken, minimal surfaces in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) are indeed equivalent to cmc1 surfaces in \(H^3(-1)\) locally but interesting and essential differences arise (f.e. period problems) when considering the two types of surfaces globally.