Let M be a 3-manifold (possibly with boundary). We show that, for any positive integer g, there exists an open nonempty set of metrics on M for each of which there are stable compact embedded minimal surfaces of genus g with arbitrarily large area. This extends the result of Colding and Minicozzi for g=1.
There exists a properly embedded minimal surface of genus one with one end. The end is asymptotic to the end of the helicoid. This genus one helicoid is constructed as the limit of a continuous one-parameter family of screw-motion invariant minimal surfaces--also asymptotic to the helicoid--that have genus equal to one in the quotient.
In this note, we use the Lopez-Ros deformation introduced in [9] to show that any embedded genus-one helicoid must be symmetric with respect to rotation by 180 degrees around a normal line. This partially answers a conjecture of Bobenko from [3]. We also show this symmetry holds for an embedded genus-k helicoid $Σ$, provided the underlying conformal structure of $Σ$ is hyperelliptic.
In 1841, Delaunay constructed the embedded surfaces of revolution with constant mean curvature (CMC); these unduloids have genus zero and are now known to be the only embedded CMC surfaces with two ends and finite genus. Here, we construct the complete family of embedded CMC surfaces with three ends and genus zero; they are classified using their asymptotic necksizes. We work in a class slightly more general than embedded surfaces, namely immersed surfaces which bound an immersed three-manifold, as introduced by Alexandrov.
Suppose $M$ is a complete, embedded minimal surface in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with an infinite number of ends, finite genus and compact boundary. We prove that the simple limit ends of $M$ have properly embedded representatives with compact boundary, genus zero and with constrained geometry. We use this result to show that if $M$ has at least two simple limit ends, then $M$ has exactly two simple limit ends. Furthermore, we demonstrate that $M$ is properly embedded in $\mathbb{R}^3$ if and only if $M$ has at most two limit ends if and only if $M$ has a countable number of limit ends.
We prove that the area of each nonflat genus zero free boundary minimal surface embedded in the unit $3$-ball is less than the area of its radial projection to $\mathbb{S}^2$. The inequality is asymptotically sharp, and we prove any sequence of surfaces saturating it converges weakly to $\mathbb{S}^2$, as currents and as varifolds.
We add two new 1-parameter families to the short list of known embedded triply periodic minimal surfaces of genus 4 in $\mathbb{R}^3$. Both surfaces can be tiled by minimal pentagons with two straight segments and three planar symmetry curves as boundary. In one case (which has the appearance of the CLP surface of Schwarz with an added handle) the two straight segments are parallel, while they are orthogonal in the second case. The second family has as one limit the Costa surface, showing that this limit can occur for triply periodic minimal surfaces. For the existence proof we solve the 1-dim…
The Weierstrass representation for minimal surfaces in $\mathbb{R}^3$ provides a flexible method for constructing minimal surfaces of arbitrary genus. The topological limitations of minimal surfaces interfere with this providing a more general geometric modeling tool. Minimal surfaces lie in the larger class of harmonic surfaces, which in general don't have the same topological limitations of minimal surfaces and can have complicated embedded ends. In this paper we demonstrate the flexibility of using the Weierstrass representation for harmonic surfaces to combine embedded harmonic ends togeth…
In this paper, we build up a min-max theory for minimal surfaces using sweepouts of surfaces of genus $g\geq 1$ and $m\geq 1$ ideal boundary components. We show that the width for the area functional can be achieved by a bubble tree limit consisting of branched genus $g$ free boundary minimal surfaces with nodes, and possibly finitely many branched minimal spheres and free boundary minimal disks.
We prove that for each positive integer g, there exists a complete minimal surface of genus g that is properly embedded in three-dimensional euclidean space and that is asymptotic to the helicoid.
We show existence of constant mean curvature 1 surfaces in both hyperbolic 3-space and de Sitter 3-space with two complete embedded ends and any positive genus up to genus twenty. We also find another such family of surfaces in de Sitter 3-space, but with a different non-embedded end behavior.
In this paper, we discuss complete minimal immersions in $\mathbb{R}^N$($N\geq4$) with finite total curvature and embedded planar ends. First, we prove nonexistence for the following cases: (1) genus 1 with 2 embedded planar ends, (2) genus $\neq4$, hyperelliptic with 2 embedded planar ends like the Lagrangian catenoid. Then we show the existence of embedded minimal spheres in $\mathbb{R}^4$ with 3 embedded planar ends. Moreover, we construct genus $g$ examples in $\mathbb{R}^4$ with $d$ embedded planar ends such that $g\geq 1$ and $g+2\leq d\leq 2g+1$. These examples include a family of embed…
We employ min-max techniques to show that the unit ball in $\mathbb{R}^3$ contains embedded free boundary minimal surfaces with connected boundary and arbitrary genus.
We confirm a well-known conjecture that the round sphere is the only compact, embedded self-similar shrinking solution to the mean curvature flow with genus $0$. More generally, we show that the only properly embedded self-similar shrinkers in $\mathbb{R}^3$ with vanishing intersection form are the sphere, the cylinder, and the plane. This answers two questions posed by T. Ilmanen.
We construct higher genus Riemann's minimal surfaces properly embedded in the Euclidean space. To do that we glue end by end a Costa-Hoffman-Meeks examples to two halves genus zero Riemann's minimal surfaces. In first we need to perform a deformation of a Costa-Hoffman-Meeks example to prescribe the flux vector along the catenoidal ends. Then we study the mapping property of the Jacobi operator on the half Riemann example as a perturbation analysis of a CMC-Delaunay half cylinder.
We construct Weierstrass data for higher genus embedded doubly periodic minimal surfaces and present numerical evidence that the associated period problem can be solved. In the orthogonal ends case, there previously was only one known surface for each genus. We illustrate multiple new examples for each genus g>2. In the parallel ends case, the known examples limit as a foliation of parallel planes with nodes. We construct a new example for each genus g>2 that limit as g-1 singly periodic Scherk surfaces glued between two doubly periodic Scherk surfaces and also as a singly periodic surface wit…
In this paper we construct an example of a complete immersed minimal surface in $\mathbb{R}^3$ of genus one with two embedded catenoid-type ends, one Enneper-type end and total Gauss curvature $-16π.$ The proof of the existence of this example, was obtained using the Weierstrass representation, the theory of elliptic functions and explicitly solving the period problem.
This paper is the fourth in a series where we describe the space of all embedded minimal surfaces of fixed genus in a fixed (but arbitrary) closed 3-manifold. The key is to understand the structure of an embedded minimal disk in a ball in $\RR^3$. This was undertaken in [CM3], [CM4] and the global version of it will be completed here; see [CM15] for discussion of the local case and [CM13], [CM14] where we have surveyed our results about embedded minimal disks.
This paper is the first in a series where we attempt to give a complete description of the space of all embedded minimal surfaces of fixed genus in a fixed (but arbitrary) closed Riemannian 3-manifold. The key for understanding such surfaces is to understand the local structure in a ball and in particular the structure of an embedded minimal disk in a ball in $\RR^3$ (with the flat metric).
A very interesting problem in the classical theory of minimal surfaces consists of the classification of such surfaces under some geometrical and topological constraints. In this short paper, we give a brief summary of the known classification results for properly embedded minimal surfaces with genus zero in $\mathbb{R}^3$ or quotients of $\mathbb{R}^3$ by one or two independent translations. This does not intend to be an exhaustive review of the tools or proofs in the field, but a simple explanation of the currently known results.
For every genus $g$, we prove that $S^2 \times R$ contains complete, properly embedded, genus-$g$ minimal surfaces whose two ends are asymptotic to helicoids of any prescribed pitch. We also show that as the radius of the $S^2$ tends to infinity, these examples converge smoothly to complete, properly embedded minimal surfaces in $R^3$ that are helicoidal at infinity. We prove that helicoidal surfaces in $R^3$ of every prescribed genus occur as such limits of examples in $S^2\times R$.
For several embedded surfaces with zero self-intersection number in 4-manifolds, we show that an adjunction-type genus bound holds for at least one of the surfaces under certain conditions. For example, we derive certain adjunction inequalities for surfaces embedded in $m\mathbb{CP}^2\# n(-\mathbb{CP}^2)$ ($m, n \geq 2$). The proofs of these results are given by studying a family of Seiberg-Witten equations.
In this paper, we build up a min-max theory for minimal surfaces using sweepouts of surfaces of genus $g\geq 2$. We develop a direct variational methods similar to the proof of the famous Plateau problem by J. Douglas and T. Rado. As a result, we show that the min-max value for the area functional can be achieved by a bubble tree limit consisting of branched genus-$g$ minimal surfaces with nodes, and possibly finitely many branched minimal spheres. We also prove a Colding-Minicozzi type strong convergence theorem similar to the classical mountain pass lemma. Our results extend the min-max theo…
given two minimal surfaces embedded in $\S3$ of genus $g$ we prove the existence of a sequence of non-congruent compact minimal surfaces embedded in $\S3$ of genus $g$ that converges in $C^{2,α}$ to a compact embedded minimal surface provided some conditions are satisfied. These conditions also imply that, if any of these two surfaces is embedded by the first eigenvalue, so is the other.
For each $k\geq 3$, we construct a 1-parameter family of complete properly Alexandrov-embedded minimal surfaces in the Riemannian product space $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}$ with genus $1$ and $k$ embedded ends asymptotic to vertical planes. We also obtain complete minimal surfaces with genus $1$ and $2k$ ends in the quotient of $\mathbb{H}^2\times\mathbb{R}$ by an arbitrary vertical translation. They all have dihedral symmetry with respect to $k$ vertical planes, as well as finite total curvature $-4kπ$. Finally, we also provide examples of complete properly Alexandrov-embedded minimal surfa…
A correspondence is established between a class of minimal immersed surfaces of $\mathbb{S}^3(2)$ and area-minimizing unit vector fields defined on the antipodally punctured unit sphere $\mathbb{S}^2\backslash\{N,S\}$. As a consequence, we establish a stability relation for Lawson cylinders in $\mathbb{S}^3(2)$.
We construct the first examples of complete, properly embedded minimal surfaces in $\mathbb{H}^2 \times \mathbb{R}$ with finite total curvature and positive genus. These are constructed by gluing copies of horizontal catenoids or other nondegenerate summands. We also establish that every horizontal catenoid is nondegenerate. Finally, using the same techniques, we are able to produce properly embedded minimal surfaces with infinitely many ends. Each annular end has finite total curvature and is asymptotic to a vertical totally geodesic plane.
In 1996 M. Traizet obtained singly periodic minimal surfaces with Scherk ends of arbitrary genus by desingularizing a set of vertical planes at their intersections. However, in Traizet's work it is not allowed that three or more planes intersect at the same line. In our paper, by a {\it saddle-tower} we call the desingularization of such ``forbidden'' planes into an embedded singly periodic minimal surface. We give explicit examples of genus two and discuss some advances regarding this problem. Moreover, our examples are the first ones containing {\it Gaussian geodesics}, and for the first tim…
We prove the existence of a family of embedded doubly periodic minimal surfaces of (quotient) genus $g$ with orthogonal ends that generalizes the classical doubly periodic surface of Scherk and the genus-one Scherk surface of Karcher. The proof of the family of immersed surfaces is by induction on genus, while the proof of embeddedness is by the conjugate Plateau method.
This paper is the second in a series where we attempt to give a complete description of the space of all embedded minimal surfaces of fixed genus in a fixed (but arbitrary) closed 3-manifold. The key for understanding such surfaces is to understand the local structure in a ball and in particular the structure of an embedded minimal disk in a ball in $\RR^3$. We show here that if the curvature of such a disk becomes large at some point, then it contains an almost flat multi-valued graph nearby that continues almost all the way to the boundary.
This paper is the third in a series where we describe the space of all embedded minimal surfaces of fixed genus in a fixed (but arbitrary) closed 3-manifold. In [CM3]-[CM5] we describe the case where the surfaces are topologically disks on any fixed small scale. To describe general planar domains (in [CM6]) we need in addition to the results of [CM3]-[CM5] a key estimate for embedded stable annuli which is the main result of this paper. This estimate asserts that such an annulus is a graph away from its boundary if it has only one interior boundary component and if this component lies in a sma…
Using the local picture of the degeneration of sequences of minimal surfaces developed by Chodosh, Ketover and Maximo we show that in any closed Riemannian 3-manifold $(M,g)$, the genus of an embedded CMC surface can be bounded only in terms of its index and area, independently of the value of its mean curvature. We also show that if $M$ has finite fundamental group, the genus and area of any non-minimal embedded CMC surface can be bounded in term of its index and a lower bound for its mean curvature.
We investigate the Lawson genus $2$ surface by methods from integrable system theory. We prove that the associated family of flat connections comes from a family of flat connections on a $4-$punctured sphere. We describe the symmetries of the holonomy and show that it is already determined by the holonomy around one of the punctures. We show the existence of a meromorphic DPW potential for the Lawson surface which is globally defined on the surface. We determine this potential explicitly up to two unknown functions depending only on the spectral parameter.
We construct new constant mean curvature surfaces in H2xR. They arise as sister surfaces of Plateau solutions. It is a family of MC 1/2 surfaces with k ends, genus 1 and k-fold dihedral symmetry, k greater 2. The surfaces are Alexandrov- embedded.
Using the lamination theory developed by Colding and Minicozzi for sequences of embedded, finite genus minimal surfaces with boundaries going to infinity \cite{CM5}, we show that the space of genus-one helicoids is compact (modulo rigid motions and homotheties). This generalizes a result of Hoffman and White \cite{HW}.
We prove optimal genus bounds for minimal surfaces arising from the min-max construction of Simon-Smith. This confirms a conjecture made by Pitts-Rubinstein in 1986.
This paper is the fifth and final in a series on embedded minimal surfaces. Following our earlier papers on disks, we prove here two main structure theorems for non-simply connected embedded minimal surfaces of any given fixed genus. The first of these asserts that any such surface without small necks can be obtained by gluing together two oppositely--oriented double spiral staircases. The second gives a pair of pants decomposition of any such surface when there are small necks, cutting the surface along a collection of short curves. After the cutting, we are left with graphical pieces that ar…
We use Colding--Minicozzi lamination theory to study the systole of large genus minimal surfaces in an ambient three-manifold of positive Ricci curvature.
For every $g\in\mathbb{N}_0$ and $ε>0$, we construct a smooth genus $g$ surface embedded into the unit ball with area $8π$ and Willmore energy smaller than $8π+ ε$. From this we deduce that a minimising sequence for Willmore's energy in the class of genus $g$ surfaces embedded in the unit ball with area $8π$ converges to a doubly covered sphere for all $g\in\mathbb{N}_0$. We obtain the same result for certain Canham-Helfrich energies with $χ_K\leq 0$ without genus constraint and show that Canham-Helfrich energies with $χ_K>0$ are not bounded from below in the class of smooth surfaces with area…
We present a new construction of embedded minimal surfaces in hyperbolic space with $3$ asymptotically totally geodesic ends and arbitrary finite genus.
The isoperimetric ratio of an embedded surface in $R^3$ is defined as the ratio of the area of the surface to power three to the squared enclosed volume. The aim of the present work is to study the minimization of the Willmore energy under fixed isoperimetric ratio when the underlying abstract surface has fixed genus $g\geq 0$. The corresponding problem in the case of spherical surfaces, i.e. $g=0$, was recently solved by Schygulla with different methods.
Minimal tori that are linearly full in the 3-sphere possess a natural invariant g called their spectral genus, which was introduced by Hitchin. We show that for each g>0, there are countably many real g-dimensional families of minimally immersed tori with spectral genus g (two of these dimensions are just reparametrisations of the torus). Each family maps from a fixed torus of rectangular conformal type.
For fixed large genus, we construct families of complete immersed minimal surfaces in R3 with four ends and dihedral symmetries. The families exist for all large genus and at an appropriate scale degenerate to the plane.
We construct new examples of immersed minimal surfaces with catenoid ends and finite total curvature, of both genus zero and higher genus. In the genus zero case, we classify all such surfaces with at most $2n+1$ ends, and with symmetry group the natural $\bfZ_2$ extension of the dihedral group $D_n$. The surfaces are constructed by proving existence of the conjugate surfaces. We extend this method to cases where the conjugate surface of the fundamental piece is noncompact and is not a graph over a convex plane domain.
In this paper, we study Alexandrov-embedded r-noids with genus 1 and horizontal ends. Such minimal surfaces are of two types and we build several examples of the first one. We prove that if a polygon bounds an immersed polygonal disk, it is the flux polygon of an r-noid with genus 1 of the first type. We also study the case of polygons which are invariant under a rotation. The construction of these surfaces is based on the resolution of the Dirichlet problem for the minimal surface equation on an unbounded domain.
In this paper, we show that an embedded Weingarten surface in S^3 of genus 1 must be rotationally symmetric, provided that certain structure conditions are satisfied. The argument involves an adaptation of our proof of Lawson's Conjecture for minimal tori.
In this paper, we use the conjugate surface construction to prove the existence of certain non-periodic symmetric immersed minimal surfaces. These surfaces have finite total curvature and embedded catenoid ends, and they have positive genus yet maintain the symmetry of their genus-zero counterparts constructed by Jorge-Meeks and Xu.
For Finsler metrics (no reversibility assumed) on closed orientable surfaces of genus greater than one, we study the dynamics of minimal rays and minimal geodesics in the universal cover. We prove in particular, that for almost all asymptotic directions the minimal rays with these directions laminate the universal cover and that the Busemann functions with these directions are unique up to adding constants. Moreover, using a kind of weak KAM theory, we show that for almost all types of minimal geodesics in the sense of Morse, there is precisely one minimal geodesic of this type.