Construction of \(n\)-end catenoids with prescribed flux (Q1902054)

Let \(X: \{q_1, \dots, q_n\} \in\widehat \mathbb{C}\to \mathbb{R}^3\), \((\widehat \mathbb{C}= \mathbb{C} \cup \{\infty\})\), be an \(n\)-end catenoid, that is, a complete minimal surface of genus zero endowed with \(n\) catenoid ends at the points \(q_i\). Let \(G: \{q_1, \dots, q_n\} \in\widehat \mathbb{C} \to S^2\) be an extended map and \(w(q_i)\) denote the weight of the end. Then this notion gives rise to the problem: given \(n\) unit vectors \(v_1, \dots, v_n\) in \(\mathbb{R}^3\) with \(\sum^n_{i=1} a_i v_i =0\), is there an \(n\)-end catenoid such that \(G(q_i) =v_i\) and \(w(q_i) =a_i\)? In this paper an answer is presented: by setting \(p_i= \sigma (v_i)\) for the stereographic projection and \(F_i (z)= \overline p_iz +1/z-p_i\), there really exists such an \(n\)-end catenoid if there are \(n\) numbers \(b_i\) satisfying \(b_i \sum_{j\neq i} b_j= a_i\), \(b_i\sum_{j\neq i} b_jF_i (p_j) =0\), \(i=1,2, \dots,n\).