The asymptotic Plateau problem in Gromov hyperbolic manifolds

We solve the asymptotic Plateau problem in every Gromov hyperbolic Hadamard manifold (X,g) with bounded geometry. That is, we prove existence of complete (possibly singular) k-dimensional area minimizing surfaces in X with prescribed boundary data at infinity, for a large class of admissible limit sets and for all . The result also holds with respect to any riemannian metric on X which is lipschitz equivalent to g. Received: 23 January 2001 / Accepted: 25 October 2001 Published online: 28 February 2002     

Boundary regularity for minimizing currents with prescribed mean curvature

We prove complete boundary regularity for energy minimizing integer multiplicity rectifiablen currents in ⁿ⁺¹ of prescribed mean curvatureH with boundaryB= represented by an oriented smooth submanifold of dimensionn – 1 in sun+1. We also give applications to the Plateau problem for surfaces with prescribed mean curvature.This article was processed by the author using the LaT_EX style filepljour1 from Springer-Verlag.     

On the role of energy convexity in the web function approximation

For a given p > 1 and an open bounded convex set we consider the minimization problem for the functional over Since the energy of the unique minimizer u_p may not be computed explicitly, we restrict the minimization problem to the subspace of web functions, which depend only on the distance from the boundary δΩ. In this case, a representation formula for the unique minimizer v_p is available. Hence the problem of estimating the error one makes when approximating J_p(u_p) by J_p(v_p) arises. When Ω varies among convex bounded sets in the plane, we find an optimal estimate for such error, and we show that it is decreasing and infinitesimal with p. As p → ∞, we also prove that u_p − v_p converges to zero in for all m < ∞. These results reveal that the approximation of minima by means of web functions gains more and more precision as convexity in J_p increases.     

Stability for hypersurfaces of constant mean curvature with free boundary

The partitioning problem for a smooth convex bodyB ³ consists in to study, among surfaces which divideB in two pieces of prescribed volume, those which are critical points of the area functional.We study stable solutions of the above problem: we obtain several topological and geometrical restrictions for this kind of surfaces. In the case thatB is a Euclidean ball we obtain stronger results.Antonio Ros is partially supported by DGICYT grant PB91-0731 and Enaldo Vergasta is partially supported by CNPq grant 202326/91-8.     

Finite element approximations to surfaces of prescribed variable mean curvature

We give an algorithm for finding finite element approximations to surfaces of prescribed variable mean curvature, which span a given boundary curve. We work in the parametric setting and prove optimal estimates in the H¹ norm. The estimates are verified computationally.     

Schwarz operators of minimal surfaces spanning polygonal boundary curves

This paper examines the Schwarz operator A and its relatives Ȧ, Ā and Ǡ that are assigned to a minimal surface X which maps consequtive arcs of the boundary of its parameter domain onto the straight lines which are determined by pairs P _j , P _j+1 of two adjacent vertices of some simple closed polygon . In this case X possesses singularities in those boundary points which are mapped onto the vertices of the polygon Γ. Nevertheless it is shown that A and its closure Ā have essentially the same properties as the Schwarz operator assigned to a minimal surface which spans a smooth boundary contour. This result is used by the author to prove in [Jakob, Finiteness of the set of solutions of Plateau’s problem for polygonal boundary curves. I.H.P. Analyse Non-lineaire (in press)] the finiteness of the number of immersed stable minimal surfaces which span an extreme simple closed polygon Γ, and in [Jakob, Local boundedness of the set of solutions of Plateau’s problem for polygonal boundary curves (in press)] even the local boundedness of this number under sufficiently small perturbations of Γ.     

Analytic regularity of a free boundary problem

In this paper, we consider a free boundary problem with volume constraint. We show that positive minimizer is locally Lipschitz and the free boundary is analytic away from a singular set with Hausdorff dimension at most n − 8.     

Flächen Beschränkter Mittlerer Krümmung in Einer Dreidimensionalen Riemannschen Mannigfaltigkeit

In recent papers HILDEBRANDT [11] and HARTH [5] proved the existence of solutions of the problem of Plateau for surfaces of bounded mean curvature with fixed and free boundaries in E³ and for minimal surfaces with free boundaries in a Riemannian manifold, respectively. Here their methods will be combined to solve the problem of Plateau for surfaces of bounded mean curvature in a Riemannian manifold. This will be done for fixed and free boundaries. Moreover, isoperimetric inequalities for the solutions will be given.

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Diese Arbeit beruht auf meiner Dissertation (Mainz 1971)     

A singular limit arising in combustion theory: Fine properties of the free boundary

The equation where converges to the Dirac measure concentrated at with mass has been used as a model for the propagation of flames with high activation energy. For initial data that are bounded in and have a uniformly bounded support, we study non-negative solutions of the Cauchy problem in as We show that each limit of is a solution of the free boundary problem in on (in the sense of domain variations and in a more precise sense). For a.e. time t the graph of u(t) has a unique tangent cone at -a.e. The free boundary is up to a set of vanishing measure the sum of a countably n-1-rectifiable set and of the set on which vanishes in the mean. The non-degenerate singular set is for a.e. time a countably n-1-rectifiable set. As key tools we introduce a monotonicity formula and, on the singular set, an estimate for the parabolic mean frequency. Received: 8 August 2001 / Accepted: 8 May 2002 / Published online: 5 September 2002 RID="a" ID="a" Partially supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research, Ministry of Education, Japan.     

Embedded minimal annuli solving an exterior problem

Given a compact, strictly convex body in ³ and a closed Jordan curve ³ satisfying several additional assumptions, the existence of a parametric, annulus type minimal surface is proved, which parametrizes along one boundary component, has a free boundary onX along the other boundary component, and which stays in ³. As a consequence of this and a reasoning developed by W. H. Meeks and S. -T. Yau we find an embedded minimal surface with these properties. Another application is the existence of an embedded minimal surface with a flat end, free boundary onX and controlled topology.This article was processed by the author using the LATEX style filepljourlm from Springer-Verlag.     

Modelling of topological derivatives for contact problems

The problem of topology optimization is considered for free boundary problems of thin obstacle types. The formulae for the first term of asymptotics for energy functionals are derived. The precision of obtained terms is verified numerically. The topological differentiability of solutions to variational inequalities is established. In particular, the so-called outer asymptotic expansion for solutions of contact problems in elasticity with respect to singular perturbation of geometrical domain depending on small parameter are derived by an application of nonsmooth analysis. Such results lead to the topological derivatives of shape functionals for contact problems. The topological derivatives are used in numerical methods of simultaneous shape and topology optimization. Partially supported by the grant 4 T11A 01524 of the State Committee for the Scientific Research of the Republic of Poland     

On two-dimensional parametric variational problems

Let be a two-dimensional parametric variational integral the Lagrangian F(x,z) of which is positive definite and elliptic, and suppose that is a closed rectifiable Jordan curve in . We then prove that there is a conformally parametrized minimizer of in the class of surfaces of the type of the disk B which are bounded by . An immediate consequence of this theorem is that the Dirichlet integral and the area functional have the same infima, a result whose proof usually requires a Lichtenstein-type mapping theorem or else Morrey's lemma on -conformal mappings. In addition we show that the minimizer of is H?lder continuous in B, and even in if satisfies a chord-arc condition. In Section 1 it is described how our results are related to classical investigations, in particular to the work of Morrey. Without difficulty our approach can be carried over to two-dimensional surfaces of codimension greater than one. Received July 20, 1998 / Accepted October 23, 1998     

Complex Ginzburg-Landau equations in high dimensions and codimension two area minimizing currents

There is an obvious topological obstruction for a finite energy unimodular harmonic extension of a S ¹-valued function defined on the boundary of a bounded regular domain of R ⁿ . When such extensions do not exist, we use the Ginzburg-Landau relaxation procedure. We prove that, up to a subsequence, a sequence of Ginzburg-Landau minimizers, as the coupling parameter tends to infinity, converges to a unimodular harmonic map away from a codimension-2 minimal current minimizing the area within the homology class induced from the S ¹-valued boundary data. The union of this harmonic map and the minimal current is the natural generalization of the harmonic extension. Received December 3, 1998 / final version received May 10, 1999     

Minimal surfaces,corners, and wires

Weierstrass representations are given for minimal surfaces that have free boundaries on two planes that meet at an arbitrary dihedral angle. The contact angles of a surface on the planes may be different. These surfaces illustrate the behavior of soapfilms in convex and nonconvex comers. They can also be used to show how a boundary wire can penetrate a soapfilm with a free end, as in the overhand knot surface. They should also cast light on the behavior of capillary surfaces.     

On the minimum problem for nonconvex, multiple integrals of product type

We consider the problem of minimizing multiple integrals of product type, i.e. where is a bounded, open set in , is a possibly nonconvex, lower semicontinuous function with p-growth at infinity for some and the boundary datum is in (or simply in if ). Assuming that the convex envelope off is affine on each connected component of the set , we prove attainment for () for every continuous, positively bounded below function g such that (i) every point is squeezed between two intervals where g is monotone and (ii) g has no strict local minima. This shows in particular that the class of coefficents g that yield existence to () is dense in the space of continuous, positive functions on . We present examples which show that these conditions for attainment are essentially sharp. Received April 12, 2000 / Accepted May 9, 2000 / Published online November 9, 2000     

The relative isoperimetric inequality outside convex domains in R<Superscript><Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis></Superscript>

We prove that the area of a hypersurface Σ which traps a given volume outside a convex domain C in Euclidean space R ⁿ is bigger than or equal to the area of a hemisphere which traps the same volume on one side of a hyperplane. Further, when C has smooth boundary ∂C, we show that equality holds if and only if Σ is a hemisphere which meets ∂C orthogonally.     

A variational approach to the regularity of minimal surfaces of annulus type in Riemannian manifolds

Given two Jordan curves in a Riemannian manifold, a minimal surface of annulus type bounded by these curves is described as the harmonic extension of a critical point of some functional (the Dirichlet integral) in a certain space of boundary parametrizations. The H2,2-regularity of the minimal surface of annulus type will be proved by applying the critical points theory and Morrey's growth condition.     

Integral Menger curvature for surfaces

We develop the concept of integral Menger curvature for a large class of nonsmooth surfaces. We prove uniform Ahlfors regularity and a C1,λ-a priori bound for surfaces for which this functional is finite. In fact, it turns out that there is an explicit length scale R>0 which depends only on an upper bound E for the integral Menger curvature Mp(Σ) and the integrability exponent p, and not on the surface Σ itself; below that scale, each surface with energy smaller than E looks like a nearly flat disc with the amount of bending controlled by the (local) Mp-energy. Moreover, integral Menger curvature can be defined a priori for surfaces with self-intersections or branch points; we prove that a posteriori all such singularities are excluded for surfaces with finite integral Menger curvature. By means of slicing and iterative arguments we bootstrap the Hölder exponent λ up to the optimal one, λ=1−(8/p), thus establishing a new geometric ‘Morrey–Sobolev’ imbedding theorem.As two of the various possible variational applications we prove the existence of surfaces in given isotopy classes minimizing integral Menger curvature with a uniform bound on area, and of area minimizing surfaces subjected to a uniform bound on integral Menger curvature.     

Homogenization of variational problems in manifold valued <Emphasis Type="Italic">BV</Emphasis>-spaces

This paper extends the result of Babadjian and Millot (preprint, 2008) on the homogenization of integral functionals with linear growth defined for Sobolev maps taking values in a given manifold. Through a Γ-convergence analysis, we identify the homogenized energy in the space of functions of bounded variation. It turns out to be finite for BV-maps with values in the manifold. The bulk and Cantor parts of the energy involve the tangential homogenized density introduced in Babadjian and Millot (preprint, 2008), while the jump part involves an homogenized surface density given by a geodesic type problem on the manifold.     

Uniqueness of least area surfaces in the 3-torus

Given any -periodic metric g on and a plane through the origin, Bangert [4] shows that there exists a properly embedded surface homeomorphic to which is homotopically area-minimizing w.r.t. g, lies in a strip of bounded width around P, and does not have self-intersections when projected to the 3-torus . For the set of such surfaces, we show the following uniqueness theorems: If P is irrational, i.e., is not spanned by vectors in , the action of on by translations has a unique minimal set. If P is totally irrational, i.e., , then the surfaces in are pairwise disjoint. Received: 8 July 1999 / In final form: 14 February 2000 / Published online: 25 June 2001