2/5: Professor Bill Meeks, “From soap films to minimal suraces”

***UPDATE***

Due to the weather, this talk has been cancelled.

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Please join us for Math Club this Wednesday, 5:30-6:30 in LGRT 1528. This week, Professor Bill Meeks will speak on, “From soap films to minimal surfaces” (abstract below). As always, pizza and soda will be provided.

 

Title: From soap films to minimal surfaces

Abstract: I will present some basic minimization problems in the calculus
of variations.  A key problem in this subject is the classical Plateau
problem that asks: Given a simple closed curve in three-space, is it the
boundary of a surface of least area?  I will also discuss related problems
such as the Kelvin problem for minimizing perimeter in dimension 3 and
Fermat’s problem of constructing roads of least pavement that connect
three cities in a planar map.  However, the focus of my talk will be on
Plateau’s problem and how it is related to the existence of soap films on
a closed wire contour. As an important aside, I will attempt to explain
how this problem leads to the mathematical theory of what are called
minimal surfaces and to applications like the solution of the Positive
Mass Conjecture in the theory of relativity.  The talk will be visual with
many colorful slides that illustrate the concepts in nature and in real
life.