Minimal surface

In mathematics, a minimal surface is a surface with mean curvature of zero, or, equivalently, a surface of minimum area subject to constraints on the location of its boundary. Examples of minimal surfaces include catenoids and helicoids.

A soap film stretched within a framework is a physically realizeable minimal surface. It has helical edges which can be observed if the framework is half-inch plexiglass tubes.

Minimal surfaces have become an area of intense mathematical and scientific study over the past 15 years, specifically in the areas of molecular engineering and materials science, due to their anticipated nanotechnology applications.

See also

soap bubble, Plateau's problem