Elements of the Geometry and Topology of Minimal Surfaces in Three-Dimensional Space

This book grew out of lectures presented to students of mathematics, physics, and mechanics by A. T. Fomenko at Moscow University, under the auspices of the Moscow Mathematical Society. The book describes modern and visual aspects of the theory of minimal, two-dimensional surfaces in three-dimensional space. The main topics covered are: topological properties of minimal surfaces, stable and unstable minimal films, classical examples, the Morse-Smale index of minimal two-surfaces inEuclidean space, and minimal films in Lobachevskian space. Requiring only a standard first-year calculus and elementary notions of geometry, this book brings the reader rapidly into this fascinating branch of modern geometry.Fomenko, A. T. is the author of 'Elements of the Geometry and Topology of Minimal Surfaces in Three-Dimensional Space', published 2005 under ISBN 9780821837917 and ISBN 0821837915.