Minimal surfaces obtained by Ribaucour transformations (Q1868434)

A sphere congruence in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) is a family of spheres whose diameters and centers depend on two independent parameters \(u,v\). Generically, any sphere congruence has two enveloping surfaces \(M\) and \(\widetilde{M}\) and on any sphere \(S^2(u,v)\) of the congruence with radius \(h(u,v)\) there are exactly two points \(P=P(u,v)\in S\cap M\) and \(\widetilde{P}=\widetilde{P}(u,v)\in S\cap\widetilde{M}\) such that \(S\) is tangent to \(M\) at \(P\) and to \(\widetilde{M}\) at \(\widetilde{P}\), respectively. The mapping \(\psi:M\rightarrow\widetilde{M}\) assigning \(\tilde{P}\) to \(P\) is a Ribaucour transformation. In section 1 differential equations are derived that must be satisfied by \(M\), \(\widetilde{M}\) and the radius function \(h(u,v)\). It is shown that Ribaucour transformations can be used to obtain new minimal surfaces from given ones, namely a function \(\Omega(u,v)\) is defined by \[ d\,\Omega(e_i)=\frac{\Omega}{h}Z^i,\quad Z^i=\frac{d\,h(e_i)}{1-h\,\lambda^i}, \] where \(e_1,e_2\) is an orthonormal tangent frame on \(M\) in principal direction and \(\lambda^1,\lambda^2\) the corresponding principal curvatures. Theorem 1.7 states that under some general assumptions, if \(M\) is a minimal surface and the differential equation \((d\,\Omega(e_1))^2+(d\,\Omega(e_2))^2+W^2=2\,c\,\Omega\,W\) is satisfied, where \(W=\Omega/h\) and \(c\) a constant, then \(\widetilde{M}\) is again minimal. Applying this construction to the Enneper surface and the catenoid, families of immersed complete minimal surfaces, of genus zero and with an arbitrary number of planar ends are obtained. For each pair \((n,m), n\neq m\) of integers such that \(n/m>0\) is an irreducible rational number, starting with the catenoid, the authors construct complete minimal surfaces with \(n\) embedded planar ends and two nonplanar ends of geometric index \(m\), and total absolute curvature \(-4\pi(n+m)\), Finally, an interpretation of the Ribaucour transformation as Bäcklund transformation of the differential equation \(\Delta\,\phi=e^{-2\,\phi}\) is given.