Zero-curvature point of minimal graphs (Q2155982)

A minimal surface is a surface that locally minimizes its area. A surface in \(\mathbb{R}^{3}\) is minimal if and only if it can be locally expressed as the graph \(z=f(x,y)\) of a solution of \((1+f_{x}^{2})f_{yy}+(1+f_{y}^{2})f_{xx}-2f_{x}f_{y}f_{xy}=0.\) This partial differential equation was originally derived in 1762 by Lagrange, and Meusnier discovered in 1776 that its validity implies a vanishing mean curvature. \textit{R. Finn} and \textit{R. Osserman} studied the Gauss curvature of non-parametric minimal surfaces in [J. Anal. Math. 12, 351--364 (1964; Zbl 0122.16404]. Later on several authors investigated the geometry of minimal surfaces, see, e.g., [\textit{R. Finn}, Arch. Ration. Mech. Anal. 14, 337--375 (1963; Zbl 0133.04601); \textit{R. R. Hall}, J. Reine Angew. Math. 502, 19--28 (1998; Zbl 0907.53005); \textit{R. R. Hall}, J. Anal. Math. 42, 185--198 (1982/1983; Zbl 0548.42002); \textit{W. Hengartner} and\textit{G. Schober}, J. Lond. Math. Soc. 33, No. 3, 473--483 (1986; Zbl 0626.30018); \textit{P. Duren} and \textit{W. R. Thygerson}, Rocky Mt. J. Math. 30, No. 2, 555--564 (2000; Zbl 0982.53008)]. The main purpose in this paper is to study the extremals of the second derivative of the Gaussian curvature of minimal graphs at the origin. The author proves that such extremals are certain Jenkins-Serrin graphs over the regular hexagon inscribed in the unit disc. Furthermore, it is shown that the Gaussian curvature vanishes and the tangent plane is horizontal at the origin.