Special functions on the sphere with applications to minimal surfaces (Q696811)

Let \(\mathcal M\) be a minimal surface in \({\mathbb R}^3\) (i.e. its mean curvature is zero). Let \(w=x\cdot n\), where \(x\in\mathcal M\), \(n\) is the unit normal vector at \(x\), and the dot denotes the inner product (thus \(w\) is the support function, and \(x\to n\) is the Gauss mapping \({\mathcal M}\to S^2\)). As a function of \(n\), \(w\) satisfies on \(S^2\) the equation \(\triangle w+2w=0\), where \(\triangle\) is the spherical Laplacian. Linear functions restricted to \(S^2\) satisfy this equation and there are no other solutions which are defined on the whole sphere but there exist branching solutions on the punctured sphere. If \(\triangle w+2w=0\) then the setting \(x=wn+\nabla w\), where \(\nabla\) is the gradient in \(S^2\), defines locally the minimal surface with the support function \(w\). In the ordinary spherical coordinates and sphero-conal coordinates variables in the equation can be separated. For ordinary coordinates, there is the general solution by Legendre functions. The corresponding family of surfaces includes catenoid, helicoid, Enneper surfaces and nonorientable Hennenberg's one. The second case reduces to doubly periodic solutions of Lamé's equation \(\Lambda''(z)+(h-2k^2{\text{ sn}}^2z)\Lambda(z)=0\) and contains Riemann's family of singly periodic minimal surfaces.