New variational formulations for minimal surfaces (Q4029430)

The authors consider a minimal surface in \(\mathbb{R}^ 3\) given parametrically by \(r(\alpha_ 1,\alpha_ 2)\) where \(\alpha_ 1\) and \(\alpha_ 2\) are assumed to be orthogonal coordinates. They introduce stress vectors \[ \sigma_ 1=\sqrt{{r,_ 2\cdot r,_ 2\over r,_ 1\cdot r,_ 1}}r,_ 1\quad\text{and }\sigma_ 2=\sqrt{{r,_ 1\cdot r,_ 1\over r,_ 2\cdot r,_ 2}}r,_ 2 \] and the complementary surface given by \(\varphi(\alpha_ 1,\alpha_ 2)\) satisfying \(\sigma_ 1=-\varphi,_ 2\) and \(\sigma_ 2=\varphi,_ 1\). In case \(\alpha_ 1\) and \(\alpha_ 2\) are isothermal coordinates, this reduces to the construction of the usual conjugate minimal surface. The complementary area is given by \[ A^*=\int \int\sqrt{(\sigma_ 1\cdot\sigma_ 1)(\sigma_ 2\cdot\sigma_ 2)}d\alpha_ 1d \alpha_ 2- \oint_{\partial S}(r_ p\cdot\sigma_ n)ds, \] where \(r_ p\) is the prescribed value of \(r\) on the boundary \(\partial S\) and \(\sigma_ n\) is the stress in the normal direction. It is shown that \(A=-A^*\). This seems to allow the classical formulation and complementary formulation to be used numerically to obtain estimates above and below for the minimum area. Two illustrative numerical examples are included, as well as the generalization to the constrained problem of requiring a given enclosed volume.