Explicit solving of the system of natural PDEs of minimal Lorentz surfaces in \(\mathbb{R}_2^4\) (Q2075183)

Let \({\mathbb R}_2^4\) denote \({\mathbb R}^4\) with the indefinite inner product \[ \langle a, b\rangle :=-a_1 b_1 + a_2 b_2 - a_3 b_3 + a_4 b_4\,. \] A (two-dimensional) Lorentz surface in \({\mathbb R}_2^4\) is the image of an immersion \(\mathrm{x}:{\mathcal D}\rightarrow{\mathbb R}_2^4\), where \({\mathcal D}\) is a domain in \({\mathbb R}^2\). It can be shown that locally for a Lorentz surface \({\mathcal M}\) there are coordinates \(u, v\) such that its first fundamental form is given by an expression of the form \(E(du^2 -dv^2)\), \(E\neq 0\). When \(\mathrm{x}\) is given by such ``isothermal coordinates'', \({\mathcal M}\) is called \textit{minimal} if and only if \(\mathrm{x}\) is hyperbolically harmonic, that is, \(\frac{\partial^2 \mathrm{x}}{\partial u^2}-\frac{\partial^2 \mathrm{x}}{\partial v^2}=0\). In this case there are curves \(\alpha_1, \alpha_2\) in \({\mathbb R}_2^4\) such that \[ \mathrm{x}(u, v)\equiv\frac{\alpha_1(u+v)+\alpha_2(u-v)}{2}. \] The isothermality implies \((\alpha_1^\prime)^2 = (\alpha_2^\prime)^2 = 0\), \(\langle\alpha_1^\prime, \alpha_2^\prime \rangle =2E\). \({\mathcal M}\) is called \textit{of general type}, if and only if the ``null curves'' \(\alpha_1, \alpha_2\) are non-degenerate, that is, \((\alpha_1^{\prime\prime})^2 \neq 0\neq (\alpha_2^{\prime\prime})^2\). In particular, if \((\alpha_1^{\prime\prime})^2 = \pm 1 = (\alpha_2^{\prime\prime})^2\), then \(u, v\) are called \textit{canonical coordinates}. Now, a minimal Lorentz surface \({\mathcal M}\) is of general type, if and only if \(K^2 \neq \kappa^2\), where \(K\) and \(\kappa\) are its Gauss and its normal curvature, respectively. The invariants \(K\) and \(\kappa\) then solve the following system of ``natural PDEs''. \[ \sqrt[4]{\left|K^2-\kappa^2\right|}\left(\frac{\partial^2}{\partial u^2}-\frac{\partial^2}{\partial v^2}\right)\ln\left|K^2-\kappa^2\right| = \delta 8K, \] \[ \sqrt[4]{ \left|K^2 -\kappa^2\right|}\left(\frac{\partial^2}{\partial u^2}-\frac{\partial^2}{\partial v^2}\right)\ln\left|\frac{K+\kappa}{K-\kappa} \right| = \delta 4\kappa, \] where \(\delta =\pm 1\). \par The authors discuss a Weierstrass type representation of null curves in \({\mathbb R}_2^4\), according to which for a null curve \(\alpha\) there are unique real functions \(f, g, h\) such that \[ \alpha^\prime = f(gh+1, gh-1, h-g, h+g), \] unless the first two components of \(\alpha^\prime\) are equal. Applying this concept, for a minimal Lorentz surface \({\mathcal M}\) of general type in canonical coordinates there follows the representation \[ \alpha_i^\prime = \frac{\omega_i}{2\sqrt{|g_i^\prime h_i^\prime|}}(g_i h_i +1, g_i h_i -1, h_i -g_i, h_i +g_i)\quad (i\in\{1,\:2\}) \] with certain functions \(g_i, h_i\), and \(\omega_i =\pm 1\). Moreover, it then holds: \[ K=\frac{-\delta 8\sqrt{|g_1^\prime h_1^\prime g_2^\prime h_2^\prime|}}{|(g_1-g_2)(h_1-h_2)|}\left(\frac{ g_1^\prime g_2^\prime}{(g_1-g_2)^2}+\frac{h_1^\prime h_2^\prime}{(h_1-h_2)^2}\right), \] \[ \kappa =\frac{-\delta 8\sqrt{|g_1^\prime h_1^\prime g_2^\prime h_2^\prime|}}{| (g_1-g_2)(h_1-h_2)|}\left(\frac{g_1^\prime g_2^\prime}{(g_1 -g_2)^2}-\frac{h_1^\prime h_2^\prime}{(h_1 -h_2)^2}\right). \] The main result of the authors is that functions \(K, \kappa\) solve the above system of natural PDEs if and only if they are of the last form, at least locally, with a suitable quadruple of real functions \(g_i, h_i\). Furthermore, in the course of the article, the authors ``[\dots] obtain the transformation formulas for the functions in the Weierstrass representation of a null curve under a proper motion in \({\mathbb R}_2^4\)'' and using this they ``find the relation between two quadruples of real functions generating one and the same solution to the system of natural PDEs'', as they note in the abstract.