A rigidity theorem for properly embedded minimal surfaces in \(R^ 3\) (Q917042)

A rigidity theorem for minimal surfaces in \(R^ 3\) is proved. The principal result shows that if \(M\subset R^ 3\) is a properly embedded minimal surface, with more than one end, then the inclusion map of M in \(R^ 3\) is the unique isometric minimal immersion of this surface, up to a rigid motion in \(R^ 3\). In particular, every intrinsic isometry of M extends to an isometry of \(R^ 3\). The authors obtain an infinity for solutions of the minimal surface equation over annular planar domains.