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401-3535-75L 4 Credits DR , MSC D-MATH

Regularity for Minimal Surfaces

Lecturers & Examiners: Dr. Anna Skorobogatova
VVZ CR n/a

Last Updated: 2026-06-01 11:30:59

Abstract

Minimal surfaces are critical points of the area functional, and in general are not smooth submanifolds of the ambient space. Nevertheless, one can hope to understand the size and structure of singularities in certain situations, and behavior of the surface nearby.

Objective

The aim of this course is to provide an introduction to the regularity of minimal hypersurfaces using the weak framework of stationary integral varifolds, and develop an intuition for various regularity results and the conditions under which they hold.

Content

- Background on Hausdorff measure, dimension and countably rectifiable sets - Integral varifolds: definitions, first and second variation - Monotonicity for mass ratios, tangent cones - Allard-De Giorgi Regularity Theorem: proof for Lipschitz graphs (ideas of Lipschitz approximation step will be in notes) - Stratification for singular set, Federer's dimension reduction - Simons' Theorem for low-dimensional stable minimal hypercones, dimension estimate on singular set for area-minimizing hypersurfaces (using the framework of currents) - Bernstein Theorems and curvature estimates in low dimensions - Existence of singular area-minimizing cones and failure of Bernstein Theorems in high dimensions TIME PERMITTING: Hardt-Simon foliation, ideas and difficulties in higher codimension

Resources

Lecture Notes

Notes will be uploaded weekly on my webpage:https://sites.google.com/view/askorobogatova/teaching

Literature

See "Learning Materials" tab

General Information

Language
English
Levels
DR , MSC

Examination

Type
session examination
Mode
oral 20 minutes

Course Components

Type Title Time & Place Hours
lecture Regularity for Minimal Surfaces
  • Wed 10:15-12:00 (HG F 26.5)
2 h weekly

Offered In