No label defined (Q4545124)

An \(r\)-noid is a properly embedded minimal surface of finite total curvature with \(r\) embedded ends. Let \(\psi: M\to\mathbb{R}^3\) be an \(r\)-noid. Then it is well known that \(M\) is conformally equivalent to a compact surface \(\overline M\) minus finitely many points \(p_1,\dots,p_r\). We say that \(M\) is Alexandrov-embedded if \(\overline M\) bounds a compact 3-manifold \(\overline\Omega\) and the immersion \(\psi\) extends to a proper local diffeomorphism \(f\colon\overline\Omega-\{p_1,\dots,p_r\}\to\mathbb{R}^3\). Given an ordered list of non-zero horizontal vectors \(v_1,\dots,v_r\) with \(v_1+\cdots+v_r=0\), the authors obtain a necessary and sufficient condition for the existence of an Alexandrov-embedded genus zero \(r\)-noid with prescribed fluxes \(v_1,\dots,v_r\) at \(r\) consecutive horizontal catenoid ends (the fluxes at planar ends are zero). The condition is given in terms of the plane closed polygonal curve whose edges are the vectors \(v_i\) and it says that this curve ``bounds'' an immersed disk in the plane. This beautiful result solves, for the genus zero case, a fundamental problem, first posed by Kusner, which can be stated as follows: Given a (balanced, i.e., with vanishing total flux) system of \(r\) planes and half-catenoids in \(\mathbb{R}^3\), and a nonnegative integer \(g\), find a \(r\)-noid of genus \(g\) whose ends are asymptotic to the given data. Many of the ideas developed here may be useful to prove the general case.