Lindelofs theorem for catenoids revisited重新定义了食物链的定理.pdfVIP

Lindelöf’s theorem for catenoids revisited Pierre Bérard and Ricardo Sa Earp July, 2009 Abstract In this paper we study the maximal stable domains on minimal catenoids in Euclidean and hyperbolic spaces and in 2 × . We in particular investigate whether half-vertical catenoids are maximal stable domains (Lindelöf’s prop- erty). We also consider stable domains on catenoid-cousins in hyperbolic space. Our motivations come from Lindelöf’s 1870 paper on catenoids in Euclidean space. Mathematics Subject Classification (2000): 53C42, 53C21, 58C40 Key words: Minimal surfaces. Constant mean curvature surfaces. Stability. Index. 1 Introduction In his 1870 paper “Sur les limites entre lesquelles le caténoïde est une surface minima” published in the second volume of the Mathematische Annalen, see [8], L. Lindelöf determines which domains of revolution on the catenoid C in 3 are stable. More precisely, he gives the following geometric construction (see Figure 1). Take any point A on the generating catenary C = {(x, z) ∈ 2 | z = cosh(x)}. Draw the tangent to C at the point A and let I be the intersection point of the tangent with the axis {z = 0}. From I , draw the second tangent to C . It touches C at the point B . Lindelöf’s result states that the compact connected arc AB generates a maximal 2 Figure 1: Lindelöf’s construction weakly stable domain on the catenoid C in the sense that the second variation of the area functional for this domain is zero while it is positive for any smaller domain, and negative for any larger domain. As a consequ