The minimum area of a surface with prescribed boundary contour in a pseudoeuclidean space

LetE ^{n, k} be a pseudoeuclidean space with linear elementdx ₁ ² ++dx _n–k ² –dx _n–k ^+1/2 ––dx _n ² . The area of a smooth two-dimensional surface inE ^{n, k} is defined by , whereE, F, andG are the coefficients of the first fundamental form of the surface andD is the region of variation of the parametersu andv. The following theorem is proved: LetL be a piecewise smooth closed curve inE ^{n, k} (1kn–1). Then there exists a two-dimensional piecewise smooth surface of arbitrarily small area bounded by the curveL. 3 figures.Translated from Ukrainskií Geometricheskií Sbornik, No. 30, 1987, pp. 18–22.